INEOS considering £40m star deal with Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes is often described as Manchester United’s best player in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and a shining light in dark and difficult times at Old Trafford.

While that view is accurate, it probably doesn’t do Portugal justice, as the 31-year-old was arguably one of United’s greatest players of any era, and such was his lasting, talismanic influence.

The likes of Roy Keane may be among those who repeatedly point out the playmaker’s lack of elite talent, but Fernandes could not have done more to influence the way the game played out in Manchester, having memorably dragged Ruben Amorim’s side to the Europa League final last season.

Having scored 38 goals and provided assists in all competitions in the 2024/25 season, he contributed a further 29 goals this time around, but no player has yet come close to reaching that level since the midfielder arrived in 2020.

But is that about to change this summer?

Manchester United considering signing £40m superstar this summer

It’s perhaps no surprise that Fernandes’ record-breaking assist activity has begun after three promising forwards – Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesco – settled well at Old Trafford last summer.

The trio have all achieved double-digit goalscoring goals in the Premier League, making it the first time a Premier League club has had three new players reach that target since Arsenal in 2012-13.

The progress has been impressive, although given that no United player reached 10 goals in the league last season, more is definitely needed for the 2026/27 season and the return of Champions League football.

With that in mind, CaughtOffside reported that INEOS are already looking to sign AC Milan star Rafael Leao, with the Serie A side now more “open” than before to offers for the Portuguese winger.

United are said to be interested in a player-and-cash deal for the 26-year-old, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Joshua Zirkzee and Manuel Ugarte potentially on the way, according to reports.

This could help lower the signing fee for the player, who boasts a €175m (£153m) release clause in his existing contract, although previous reports suggested Milan could get a figure closer to £40m.

Why Leo could be the best player since Fernandes

Sunday’s win against Nottingham Forest not only saw Fernandes level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne with 20 assists, but it was also a fitting farewell for an emotional Casemiro. The Brazilian was perhaps the club’s best signing since the captain himself arrived six years ago.

No player signed since 2020 has made as much of a lasting impact as the 34-year-old, but Casemiro’s 26 goals as a new signing in that period are only surpassed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 27, tied with Rasmus Hjøjlund and Alejandro Garnacho.

In the view of analyst and Como Scout Ben Mattinson, Leo has the potential to buck that trend, such as his current status as “one of the best leftists in the world”, but it must be said that there are few success stories.

Leo, who was dubbed a “monster” by Premier League panel member Raj Chauhan, has struggled in Italy, but his record speaks for itself, with regular goals and assists at the San Siro.

Although he may not be at Fernandes’ level, his statistical consistency is notable, with him scoring and assisting 114 goals in 226 Serie A games.

Since the start of the 2021/22 season, he has scored at least eight goals in each league campaign, and before this season he had reached 10 assists in each of the last four seasons in Serie A.

For someone who is not a full-fledged striker and has typically been used on the left, the former Lille speedster could potentially be the solution on the left that the likes of Michael Carrick covet, which would be an impressive read.

With Cunha being traded closer to number 10 and Patrick Dorg potentially moving back to left-back, there is a growing need to add a long-term strongman to that side.

Bringing Leo into the squad could be a dramatic upgrade, similar to moving the number 10 role from the likes of Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira to Fernandes.

The current United captain immediately gave it his all at Old Trafford and hasn’t looked back since. Even if INEOS closes out a deal this summer, why can’t his compatriots do the same?