Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said it best back in March, following the 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal: “we need more Brunos”.
As the Portuguese coach said of his compatriot, Bruno Fernandes is a player who simply “steps up all the time” for United, with it hard to imagine just where the club would be without his talismanic presence.
It’s fair to say that they almost certainly would not be in a Europa League final, with the 30-year-old having scored six times in the knockout stage alone to drag the Red Devils to Bilbao, with that record including a hat-trick against Real Sociedad, alongside a brace against Athletic Club.
Not just the villain of the Basque sides, Fernandes has also been the shining light of a wretched Premier League campaign, leading the way for both goals and assists, despite failing to score in the top-flight until Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim arrival.
Unsurprisingly the subject of interest from Saudi Arabia, the former Sporting CP star appears to be among a select few who are deemed unsellable by the INEOS regime, with it hard to put a price on the captain’s staggering importance.
Cole Palmer
24
15
9
Florian Wirtz
23
10
13
Andrej Kramaric
19
11
8
Justin Kluivert
18
12
6
Bruno Fernandes
18
8
10
Morgan Rogers
18
8
10
Jude Bellingham
17
8
9
Oihan Sancet
16
15
1
Jamal Musiala
16
12
4
Rather than cashing in this summer, the Old Trafford side should instead be aiming to build a side around Fernandes, one which can actually begin to think of challenging at the summit.
The latest on Man Utd's transfer search
Much of the talk this week has been centred around United’s pursuit of former Manchester City starlet, Liam Delap, with reports indicating that the club are actually leading the race for the 22-year-old’s signature.
Available for £30m, due to the presence of a relegation clause in his current deal at Ipswich Town, the 12-goal striker would represent an affordable option for INEOS this summer, amid the need to replace Rasmus Hojlund as the club’s leading number nine.
Elsewhere, meanwhile, reports in Brazil have indicated that the Old Trafford hierarchy are closing in on the capture of Wolverhampton Wanderers ace, Matheus Cunha, with a deal for the 25-year-old expected to reach around €80m (£67m), including add-ons.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As per GOAL, the suggestion is that United are nearing a “verbal agreement” for the wantaway Brazilian, with the “final steps” regarding personal terms also taking place to prise the forward from Molineux.
The report does note that despite Arsenal having made an approach of their own for the former Atletico Madrid man, it is the Red Devils who still remain ahead in the race, amid a desire to get the deal over the coming weeks.
Any signing, considering United’s past recruitment record, should be considered a gamble these days, although Cunha’s capture could be the Fernandes-level addition that Amorim is craving.
Why Man Utd need to sign another Fernandes
While Fernandes may still not have won over everyone – with club legend Roy Keane repeatedly stating that “talent is not enough” in relation to the playmaker – it’s fair to say that he is the main man in Manchester. He is the one who will demand the ball at any opportunity, take on the responsibility when others shirk it.
Whether he seeks it out or not, the Portugal international steals the limelight on almost a weekly basis, having looked like a natural fit for the club ever since his Man of the Match display against Wolves back in February 2020.
98 goals and 86 assists have followed in 287 games across those five years, with the creative genius having delivered the goods on a remarkably consistent basis in a United shirt.
It is too early to say whether Cunha can replicate those achievements, although his form over the last two seasons is certainly reason for encouragement. Indeed, 12 league goals last term has been followed by a further 15 this time around.
A man for the big moment, the enigmatic marksman – who also scored at Anfield – memorably netted directly from a corner against Amorim’s side on Boxing Day, the same game in which Fernandes was needlessly dismissed for two yellow cards.
That marked the third time that the Red Devils skipper had been sent off in the early months of the season, with Cunha also a player who sometimes lives on the edge, having received two suspensions of his own in 2025 to date.
Wielded in the right way, that fiery nature can be an effective tool, particularly in a United team that has been so limp of late. As Amorim himself suggested at the weekend, there was a real “lack of urgency” in the defeat to West Ham United.
Cunha may be something of a maverick then, like Fernandes, but he does boast the quality to match, having been lauded for his “absolutely sensational” footballing IQ by BBC pundit Micah Richards.
As he showed against United back in December, he is a player who will grab a game by the scruff of the neck, while having that ability to win the game on his own.
Now the same age as Fernandes was when he rocked up in Manchester half a decade ago, Cunha will hopefully prove to be a signing of similar ilk for INEOS and for Amorim.
Shades of Tevez: Man Utd now confident of signing £30m "huge talent"
Man Utd could make a move akin to their signing of Carlos Tevez all those years ago…
ByRobbie WallsMay 13, 2025