Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down a second contract offer from the Premier League club.
The Portugal midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season, although the club holds an option to activate a 12-month extension through 2028.
United are eager to prevent that outcome by extending the 32-year-old’s current deal, and they have held talks with the Portuguese player’s representatives in recent months.
However, sources have informed BBC Sport that Fernandes has turned down the club’s second proposal for a new deal at Old Trafford.
If United cannot reach a new agreement with Fernandes, it is all but certain the club will trigger a 12-month extension to his contract before 1 January.
At that stage, the midfielder would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs, since his contract would be within six months of expiry.
It is not clear when Fernandes declined the offer, but a quick resolution seems unlikely given the turmoil at the club.
Michael Carrick was dismissed as head coach on Thursday after the club’s worst start to a domestic season in 40 years.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to take over from Carrick, and the Argentine is set to take charge for the first time when United travel to Anfield to play rivals Liverpool on 22 November.
United will be hoping that Pochettino’s arrival convinces Fernandes to commit his future to the club.
Fernandes nearly joined Pochettino’s Tottenham in 2019, but the move never came about, and the midfielder signed for United six months later.
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The former Sporting midfielder has scored six goals in 13 matches for United this season.
In principle, the current contract stand-off between Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes is not a major issue.
It is normal for the first, second, and sometimes several more offers to be rejected amid the rough and tumble of negotiations.
United does have the option to trigger a clause adding an extra year. However, there are reasons both sides might hesitate to commit beyond that at this point.
For Fernandes, there is a clear wish to compete for the biggest prizes. He can sense the best years of his career slipping away.
Once again, the United has failed to build on a promising season, and he will now want to see what impact Mauricio Pochettino makes when he eventually arrives from the United States.
Fernandes was sought after by the Saudi Pro League 18 months ago, though the sense has been that he would rather remain in Europe.
For their part, United will have noticed Fernandes’ worrying decline from the heights he reached last season, when he set the Premier League assists record and swept all the major player of the year awards.
Liverpool invested a substantial sum in Mohamed Salah’s most recent contract, and it ultimately proved to be a considerable financial strain.
United will be keen to avoid being tied to a long-term, big-money contract for a player who is not performing.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down a second contract offer from the club.
The Portugal midfielder’s contract expires at the end of the season, although the club holds an option to activate a 12-month extension through 2028.
United are eager to prevent that outcome by extending the 32-year-old’s current deal, and they have held talks with the Portuguese player’s representatives in recent months.
However, sources have informed BBC Sport that Fernandes has turned down the club’s second proposal for a new deal at Old Trafford.
If United cannot reach a new agreement with Fernandes, it is all but certain the club will trigger a 12-month extension to his contract before 1 January.
At that stage, the midfielder would be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs, since his contract would be within six months of expiry.
It is not clear when Fernandes declined the offer, but a quick resolution seems unlikely given the turmoil at the club.
Michael Carrick was dismissed as head coach on Thursday after the club’s worst start to a domestic season in 40 years.
USA coach Mauricio Pochettino is expected to take over from Carrick, and the Argentine is set to take charge for the first time when United travel to Anfield to play rivals Liverpool on 22 November.
United will be hoping that Pochettino’s arrival convinces Fernandes to commit his future to the club.
Fernandes nearly joined Pochettino’s Tottenham in 2019, but the move never came about, and the midfielder signed for United six months later.
The former Sporting midfielder has scored six goals in 13 matches for United this season.
In principle, the current contract stand-off between Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes is not a major issue.
It is normal for the first, second, and sometimes several more offers to be rejected amid the rough and tumble of negotiations.
United does have the option to trigger a clause adding an extra year. However, there are reasons both sides might hesitate to commit beyond that at this point.
For Fernandes, there is a clear wish to compete for the biggest prizes. He can sense the best years of his career slipping away.
Once again, the United has failed to build on a promising season, and he will now want to see what impact Mauricio Pochettino makes when he eventually arrives from the United States.
Fernandes was sought after by the Saudi Pro League 18 months ago, though the sense has been that he would rather remain in Europe.
For their part, United will have noticed Fernandes’ worrying decline from the heights he reached last season, when he set the Premier League assists record and swept all the major player of the year awards.
Liverpool invested a substantial sum in Mohamed Salah’s most recent contract, and it ultimately proved to be a considerable financial strain.
United will be keen to avoid being tied to a long-term, big-money contract for a player who is not performing.
