Midfield icon says club cannot say no to £100m for Fernandes, especially as he “almost confuses” Amorim’s system
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes wants the club to accept a £100 million offer for Bruno Fernandes, claiming the midfielder’s departure would not only benefit the club financially but also help new manager Ruben Amorim sort out his tactics.
The comments came during an episode of The Overlap Fan Debate, where Scholes said United should “snap their hand off” if Saudi Pro League champions Al Hilal follow through with their reported interest in Fernandes.
“They are talking about £100m for him. Man United cannot say no to that,” Scholes said.
“I know he has been brilliant and carried the team on his back, but where does he play? What is his position? Do you see him as a number 10? Do you see him as a holding midfielder? He almost confuses the whole system because he doesn’t have that one position.”
Fernandes has been the heartbeat of United’s squad since arriving from Sporting in January 2020. With 98 goals and 87 assists in 290 appearances, he has consistently been the team’s most reliable creative outlet. Even in a disastrous 2024-25 season, statistically United’s worst in the Premier League era, the Portuguese stood out in a side that finished 15th, dangerously close to relegation.
Despite his importance on the pitch, Amorim did seem like he struggled to fit him in at times in his 3-4-3 structure. He played Fernandes as both a left- and right-sided No 10, and then as a central midfielder, where he was often too deep and left United with very few attacking players on the pitch.
When asked about Fernandes’ future, Amorim was cautiously optimistic, saying he “has a feeling” the player wants to stay.
“Of course I’m the manager,” Amorim said in Hong Kong. “But sometimes it’s a decision of the player. I just have that feeling when I talk to someone, you can tell if he wants to stay.”
While Amorim appears keen to retain Fernandes, sources close to the player suggest he is at least open to the idea of a move, especially given the size of the offer. Al Hilal, who recently secured a domestic double and are now among the richest clubs in the world, are reportedly willing to pay £100 million for the midfielder and offer a salary package that would more than double his current wages.
The Portuguese international’s representatives met with Al Hilal executives this week, according to the Athletic, fuelling speculation of a potential switch to the Middle East.
Fernandes, whose contract runs until 2027, has not made a definitive statement about his future.
