Varun Pai
Barcelona to prioritise move for Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes if they fail to seal a deal for Erling Haaland
According to El Nacional (h/t The Sun), Barcelona are going to make Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes their No 1 transfer priority if they fail to sign Erling Haaland in the summer.
The playmaker has struggled to get amongst the goals this season following a stellar 2020/21 campaign. Fernandes was expected to make great strides this season after the arrival of national teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Although it initially looked like a perfect match, things have gone downhill pretty soon for the Portuguese international.
He has only managed 5 goals in 18 games and has failed to achieve his creative best. Barcelona are now lining up a move for him in the summer. The Nou Camp outfit are interested in signing Erling Haaland in the summer but will make the Man United star their No 1 priority if they fail to land the Borussia Dortmund ace.
The Spanish club may have financial problems but have already secured a deal for Ferran Torres and could be expected to make more. It is also claimed that Fernandes could be tempted by an exit if things at Old Trafford do not improve.
No Way!
The 27-year-old has arguably been the most influential player at the club since his arrival two years ago. To put his contributions into perspective, the midfielder has scored 45 goals and provided 34 assists in 104 games for the club.
These are strong numbers for any player that is not primarily a part of the attacking frontline. Additionally, he has often taken the game by the scruff of the neck and produced incredible individual results to drive us to victory. His work rate is also admirable, especially considering the number of games he plays season-after-season.
The former Sporting product might be a tad off the paces at the moment, but his ability to provide the telling pass and create something out of nothing remains a valuable weapon. Things can change at Old Trafford by the summer- players can go out, some new faces can come in- but regardless of that, there would hardly be a situation where Bruno would be surplus to requirements here, especially in his prime.
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The playmaker has a contract until 2025 at Old Trafford, and luring him out is going to need a financially hefty offer. Thus, Barcelona can make him a transfer target, but Man United would be very wise to not entertain any bids for their superstar midfielder anytime soon.
The main aspect of a strong European team is keeping a hold of their best players. Apart from Leroy Sane, who wasn’t really a starting XI fixture at the Etihad to begin with, Manchester City have barely lost a first-team player in his prime to other European competitors. Thus, strengthening is the name of the game and keeping players like Fernandes at Old Trafford creates an important base for that.
