Bruno Fernandes in line for bumper new Man Utd contract
By Tom Gott
Manchester United are prepared to double the wages of midfielder Bruno Fernandes by offering him a new contract at the end of the season.
Since joining the club in January 2020, Fernandes has seen his profile rise astronomically. He has scored 34 goals and added 21 assists in just 62 appearances for United, single-handedly dragging them back into the top four last season.
Because of his new-found status at Old Trafford, United are keen to keep him happy and pay him like the superstar he is.
Fernandes currently takes home a flat wage of around £100,000-a-week, and while that's obviously nothing to turn your nose up at, he is only United's seventh-highest earner and is nowhere near the likes of David de Gea and Anthony Martial - whose weekly salaries sit at closer to £375,000 and £290,000 respectively.
United suggested the idea of a new contract back in November 2020, but Fernandes insisted on waiting until the end of the season before making a final decision. The Sun now report that United are happy to delay talks, and are ready to come in with an offer which will take Fernandes' base salary up to £200,000-a-week.
Bonuses will allow Fernandes to pick up a little bit extra, and such a figure represents just how highly United now value him given his meteoric impact at Old Trafford.
Fernandes had totted up similar numbers of goals and assists in Portugal with Sporting CP, where he was paid closer to £40,000-a-week, but his lack of experience in a top-five league was always going to limit his salary initially. £100,000-a-week was still a hefty sum for a player who was seen as somewhat of a risk, but the club needed just a few months to realise that they had struck gold.
It's unclear if United's proposal will include an extension on top of a pay rise, but that's not something the club need to worry about anyway. Fernandes' current deal runs until 2025, with United also holding the option to extend it by a further year.
A separate report from The Times, meanwhile, has revealed that United will be required to pay Sporting CP another £4.2m if Fernandes wins the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) player of the year award.
He is widely considered to be a leading contender, alongside Manchester City defender Ruben Dias - whose arrival has settled Pep Guardiola's defence immeasurably, helped resurrect the career of John Stones and led the club to a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table.