In another woeful season for Manchester United, captain Bruno Fernandes has once again been one of the few players to operate at the level expected of him.
United are now guaranteed to finish with fewer Premier League points than they did during David Moyes' sole season in charge, with manager Erik ten Hag's job hanging in the balance.
Though ten Hag will somewhat justifiably point to United's remarkable injury crisis as part of the cause of their dip in form, there have been countless tactical errors from the Dutchman to exacerbate the issues posed by those lay-offs.
On top of all that, several crucial players such as Casemiro and Marcus Rashford have endured underwhelming campaigns by their own standards. Amid all the chaos, Bruno Fernandes has stood out among the United squad.
Despite the misfiring system and superstars around him, Fernandes has consistently been a driving force creatively for United, and has made 17 goal contributions in 33 Premier League appearances from midfield.
With doubts swirling about what next season will look like at Old Trafford, this week's reports that the Portuguese midfielder could be looking at the exit door will be hugely concerning to the club.
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Reports suggest Bruno Fernandes is contemplating Manchester United exit
Bruno Fernandes celebrates after the 2023 EFL Cup final (Photo: Shutterstock)
The Sun report that Bruno Fernandes is considering making the upcoming FA Cup final his last game in the red of Manchester United. Fernandes was immense in the quarter-final victory over Liverpool and scored in the infamous semi-final triumph over Coventry.
This week's report suggests that Fernandes is ready to call time on his four-and-a-half-year stint at Old Trafford, with the Saudi Pro League touted as a possible destination for the United captain. The reports of Saudi interest in Fernandes are corroborated by the Telegraph.
Most striking of all is Miguel Delaney's report in the Independent, which suggests that Bayern Munich have a concrete interest in signing the Manchester United star - and that Fernandes is feeling a sense of "drift" at the club in the prime of his career.
Two weeks ago, Fernandes gave an interview to DAZN in his native Portugal, in which he addressed the possibility of his leaving Manchester United. Fernandes did not outright deny there was a chance of him departing the club, but said he would only give it full thought after this summer's European Championships:
Obviously it doesn't just depend on me, does it?
A player always has to want to be here but, at the same time, you have to want him to stay. At the moment I feel that's there on both sides.
I'm not thinking too much about the future, not least because this season hasn't been at the level I'd hoped for, either individually or collectively so far.
If you want me to be very honest, if I have to think about not continuing in the Premier League it won't be until after the EUROs. Nothing will be able to take my focus away from the FA Cup final and the EUROs, there's nothing more important than that at the moment.
Fernandes would be an enormous loss to Manchester United and the club would surely have to recoup a sizeable transfer fee to make the move viable.
The 29-year-old arrived from Sporting Club in January 2020 for a fee beginning at €65 million. His effect in the second half of the COVID-truncated season was transformative, driving United to the Champions League places under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The following campaign was even better, with the playmaker named in the PFA Team of the Year with 18 goals and 11 assists from midfield as United finished second in the table.
Despite his brilliance in midfield, Fernandes has won just one trophy during his time at Manchester United - last season's EFL Cup.
Fernandes has garnered controversy at times during his spell with United for his vocal protestations against referees and occasionally visible frustration towards teammates.
Nonetheless, the Portuguese star would be a huge loss should Manchester United lose him this summer. There will most certainly be a clearout at Old Trafford ahead of next season, but Bruno Fernandes is a player the club should be pushing to keep at all costs.
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