DONE DEAL: Manchester United completes first summer transfer signing as attacker is currently undergoing medical to sign five-years contract
If this is to be the end of Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United, it would mark a sorry way to go out.
The architect of the club’s surge to the Europa League final, having scored six goals in the knockout stage alone, the Portuguese playmaker couldn’t repeat those heroics on the big stage, having put in a surprisingly muted display in Bilbao.
A defeated captain in a European showpiece for the second time – having led the team out in the absence of Harry Maguire in 2021 – the 30-year-old was far from at his best, epitomised by his two errant passes in the build-up to Brennan Johnson’s crucial strike on Wednesday night.
Speaking after that dismal 1-0 defeat, the United skipper outlined that he would be forced to accept it if the club did decide to cash in on him this summer, with The Telegraph’s James Ducker relaying that Saudi side Al-Hilal are “eager to sign” the midfielder.
As Fernandes admitted himself earlier this year, he had turned down an “offer” from elsewhere before signing a new extension last summer, with it yet to be seen if he will continue to remain the centrepiece of Ruben Amorim’s side.
Should a surprise exit occur or not, it is clear that the Red Devils are in desperate need of more players of his ilk, with that search seemingly already underway.
Man Utd’s search for a Bruno Fernandes successor
While things may have been different in Bilbao, Fernandes has stood apart as the major success story of the past decade or so, having registered 98 goals and 86 assists in all competitions in just over five years.
The former Sporting CP star is a real creative spark, particularly when operating as a number ten, with the same perhaps true of departing Lyon starlet, Rayan Cherki, a player whom United know all about following their meeting in the Europa League earlier this year.
According to journalist Patrick Berger, there were even talks held with the player’s representatives following that quarter-final clash, with United said to hold a “strong interest” in the Frenchman.
The suggestion is that the Red Devils are competing with Borussia Dortmund for the 21-year-old’s signature, with it having already been revealed that Cherki will be leaving the Ligue 1 side at the end of the season.
Reportedly available for around £25m, as per prior reports, the in-demand talent – who is not said to be a “priority target” for Liverpool – could represent a real bargain addition for INEOS this summer.
Why Rayan Cherki could be the next Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes may be the captain of a sinking ship in some regard, but that should not take away too greatly from the remarkable impact he has had over the past five years, often carrying the creative and goalscoring burden on his own at times.
Currently leading the way for goals and assists again at Old Trafford this season, the “creative machine” – as hailed by Manchester City counterpart, Kevin De Bruyne – has so often taken centre-stage. He is a man who relishes the limelight.
That is a quality that Cherki appears to share, with the silky sensation notably netting in fine fashion against Amorim’s men at Old Trafford, having rifled the ball home past a helpless Andre Onana – just a week on from scoring at the death in the first leg.
Described as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by The Athletic’s Alex Barker, the youngster has replicated Fernandes in showcasing his impact both creatively and in getting goals himself, having scored 11 times and contributed 22 assists in 44 games in 202425.
That includes a return of eight goals and 11 assists in the French top-flight, with the United skipper, for instance, recording a similar return of eight goals and nine assists in the Premier League.
As indicated above, Cherki is also something of a ‘creative machine’ himself, having provided 22 big chances in Ligue 1, alongside averaging 2.5 key passes per game. Fernandes, as shown, averages 2.5 key passes per game in England’s top tier, albeit while creating ‘just’ 15 big chances.
That willingness to make something happen may lead to the odd erratic pass – as their possession lost record illustrates – but the two men both share that ability to unlock a defence with a moment of magic, or turn a game in an instant.
It is for no reason that teammate and ex-Arsenal man Ainsley Maitland-Niles has hailed Cherki as the “best natural talent” he’s ever seen, while going on to describe the forward as a “wizard on the ball”.
Much like Fernandes has done for so long, United are in need of someone else to conjure up some magic in Manchester. The Lyon diamond certainly seems to fit the bill.
