PSG plot explosive raid for United’s £47m star, INEOS are powerless to stop them – report

Manchester United are planning a major overhaul of the midfield this summer – and they may be prepared to sacrifice Bruno Fernandes to fund it, according to an explosive new report.

United’s Beating Heart

It would be impossible to understate the importance Fernandes holds for the Red Devils.

He is the club captain and role model; the team’s best and most decisive player; an ambassador for the club on and off the pitch; and one of the most likeable people to walk through the doors at Old Trafford in recent memory.

Despite turning 31 at the beginning of the season, Fernandes is on track for one of his best campaigns in a red shirt, with a series of imperious displays at the heart of United’s midfield. If the club were in contention for the title, he would be a lock-in for the Premier League Player of the Year award, far surpassing Arsenal or Manchester City’s best performers.

The Portugal international is the team’s second-highest goal scorer, but also has one eye on the league’s assist record of 20 – held jointly by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne – with the midfielder currently on 12. His work-rate off the ball is also unparalleled for a No. 10, ranking highly across defensive and out-of-possession metrics.

Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season

In short, Fernandes is irreplaceable. So why does Caught Offside reveal United are debating “cashing in” on their talisman this summer, amid serious interest from Europe’s elite and the Middle East?

Two In, One Out

The report details INEOS’s plan to revamp a stalling engine room this summer, with two new midfielders expected to arrive at Old Trafford.

The club’s primary targets are Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Carlos Baleba (Brighton) and Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace). However, all three are expected to cost up to £100 million and competition will be fierce, particularly for Anderson – arguably the only midfielder who is worth that price.

United will need a huge war chest to fund the pursuit of two of these options, given the need for reinforcements elsewhere on the pitch, such as a left-sided player – be it a full-back or winger – and a versatile forward. This has led to “internal recognition” amongst the club’s hierarchy that Fernandes’s departure may have to reluctantly be accepted, particularly as he himself has one eye on the exit door.

The maestro came close to leaving last summer when Al-Hilal expressed interest in an eye-watering raid to lure him to the Saudi Pro League. United did not express an intent to accept the offer, believed to be worth as much as £100m, nor did they outright reject it, according to Fernandes himself.

This ambivalence over his position at the club “hurt” the captain, who stated in an emotional interview in December that he felt the “club wanted me to go”, but lacked the “courage” to follow through on the decision. The Saudi side are expected to rekindle their pursuit after the World Cup this summer, while Caught Offside reveals PSG and Bayern Munich are also closely monitoring the situation in Manchester.

Fernandes’s contract expires next year, though the club can trigger an automatic twelve-month extension. However, it also contains a £57m release to suitors outside of England, further sparking the possibility of a raid by one of these European heavyweights.

A well-placed source reveals: “In an ideal world United would keep him, but the reality is that this is their last chance to make big money from selling him, and they have plans of their own in terms of new signings to reshape their midfield.” Another insider claims that while there is an “element of truth” to Fernandes being considered “indispensable”, INEOS are also “realistic about his age, his high earnings, and the fact that his current contract expires in 2027.”

If a big-money offer arrived for a player who turns 32 next season, which could fund the pursuit of one of the Premier League’s standout young midfielders in his place, United appear ready to seriously consider that decision, the report concludes.

Final Thoughts

Fernandes’s release clause means United will have no say in the matter, however. If, for example, PSG act on their growing interest and table a £57m offer, the decision would be his, and his alone.

Whether the Ligue 1 giant would be willing to spend such a large amount on a player approaching his twilight years is an entirely different proposition – with the same logic applying to Bayern’s pursuit.

By contrast, Al-Hilal would have no qualms about laying down that price for a 62-year-old, let alone someone yet to turn 32 – an age which would make Fernandes one of the babies in the Saudi league. However, he has categorically ruled out a move to the Middle East at this stage of his career.

This leaves a stalemate of sorts.

A big club on the continent wants Fernandes in their team – as he would love to play for them – but are unlikely to pay what it takes to get him. A Saudi side can easily afford the deal, yet the player himself has no interest in making the move.

This leaves the increasingly likely proposition that Fernandes will remain in a red shirt with the captain’s armband at the start of next season, simply because there is no viable alternative. And this means every United fan can take an optimistic sigh of relief.

Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images

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