Every few months, the same conversation circles back around.
Bruno Fernandes is linked with Saudi Arabia, the numbers get bigger, the social media hot takes get louder and Manchester United once again flirt with the dangerous idea that maybe, just maybe, cashing in on their most influential player might be “good business”.
Then a game like Sunday’s Manchester derby happens and the whole argument collapses under the weight of evidence.
United’s win over Manchester City at Old Trafford on January 17 was many things: cathartic, chaotic, emotionally charged. But above all it was a Bruno Fernandes masterclass.
Not just the assists, though those arrived too, but the authority, the tempo-setting, the constant sense that if United were going to hurt City, it would be through their captain.
While others rode the adrenaline of the occasion, Fernandes controlled it.
This was not one of those derbies where United survived on spirit alone. They actually created. They pressed with purpose. They played through City’s midfield rather than merely bypassing it. Fernandes was central to all of it, drifting into pockets, demanding the ball under pressure and constantly forcing City’s defenders to make uncomfortable decisions.
It was leadership without shouting, influence without theatrics. The kind of performance that makes transfer rumours feel faintly absurd.
And yet here we are, once again hearing whispers of a Saudi Pro League bid large enough to make accountants salivate. The logic is familiar: Fernandes is in his thirties, United need to rebuild, the money could be reinvested.
On paper, it sounds sensible. In reality, it ignores what Bruno Fernandes actually represents to this team.
Bryan Mbeumo. Stretford End. ERUPTION! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/v1RbPqcs9q
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 17, 2026
Since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020, Fernandes has been United’s creative engine. He has racked up well over 100 combined goals and assists in all competitions, comfortably outstripping every other attacker in the post-Ferguson era.
In Premier League terms alone, he remains one of the division’s most productive chance creators year after year, consistently ranking among the leaders for key passes, expected assists and final-third involvement.
When United score, there is an overwhelming chance Fernandes has had something to do with it.
That is not normal output. That is elite output, sustained over multiple managers, tactical resets and identity crises. While others have come and gone, Fernandes has remained the constant.
The idea that United could simply replace that with a smart signing or two is optimistic to the point of delusion.
Part of what made Saturday's display so encouraging was not just Fernandes’ quality, but the role he was playing.
Under Ruben Amorim, before his departure earlier this season, Fernandes was too often shackled to a deeper midfield position that dulled his greatest strengths. He did the work, because that is what he always does, but it was a compromise.
Asking your best creator to spend large chunks of the game plugging defensive gaps is rarely a recipe for attacking fluency.
Michael Carrick’s first game in charge has already hinted at a different approach. Against City, Fernandes operated as a true No.10 again, given licence to roam, to take risks, to play on instinct rather than obligation.
The defensive workload was shared more intelligently. The result was a player who looked liberated. When Fernandes plays with freedom, United play with imagination. It really is that simple.
There is also the small matter of longevity. Fernandes’ game is not built on raw pace or explosive athleticism. It is built on scanning, anticipation, passing angles and relentless availability. These are skills that age well.
Playmakers of his profile often remain productive deep into their thirties because their value is rooted in decision-making rather than sprint metrics.
Suggesting Fernandes is nearing the end of his peak ignores the evidence of both his output and his physical durability.
United are not exactly overflowing with guaranteed elite-level creativity. That is the uncomfortable truth beneath the transfer speculation. Remove Fernandes from this side and you are not just losing a captain; you are removing the primary source of chance creation, tempo control and attacking structure.
You are also removing the emotional heartbeat of the team, the player who drags standards up when performances dip and who visibly refuses to accept mediocrity.
Sunday’s derby was a case study in that influence.
When City threatened to wrestle control, Fernandes demanded the ball. When United needed composure, he slowed the game. When they needed incision, he provided it. Those contributions rarely show up fully in highlight reels, but they are the difference between functional possession and purposeful attacking football.
Of course, United need investment. Of course, they need to modernise the squad. But selling Fernandes to fund that process would be the footballing equivalent of pawning the engine to buy new tyres.
You might improve the look of the vehicle, but it will not get you very far.
There is also a broader, symbolic point. For nearly a decade, United have struggled to define a post-Ferguson identity. Fernandes, for all his imperfections and occasional theatrics, has embodied something close to the club’s traditional attacking spirit.
He takes responsibility. He wants the ball when it matters. He is willing to fail publicly in pursuit of decisive moments.
Those are not easily quantifiable assets and they are painfully rare in modern squads.
Replacing him would not just require money. It would require finding another player with elite creative output, tactical intelligence, leadership qualities and durability.
That shortlist is extremely short, and most of the names on it are already locked into Champions League contenders who have no interest in selling.
Which brings us back to Saturday afternoon. Amid the noise, the rumours and the speculation, Fernandes simply played football. He reminded everyone why United built around him in the first place. He showed that with the right tactical framework, he is still capable of dragging this team towards relevance.
If United are serious about returning to the top, selling Bruno Fernandes should not even be a conversation. It should be a non-starter. Because some players are assets. Others are foundations. Fernandes is firmly in the second category.
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