Diego Simeone’s admiration for Bruno Fernandes dates back to 2018, when Sporting Lisbon met Atletico Madrid in the Europa League and the Portuguese midfielder caught the Argentine’s eye. Nine years on, with Fernandes’s Manchester United contract set to expire in the summer of 2027, Atletico think they might finally land him.

The pursuit was first reported by CaughtOffside and quickly picked up in Spain, where outlets confirm Atletico are monitoring the Portuguese playmaker’s contract situation. His current deal runs out on 30 June 2027, with Manchester United holding a unilateral option to extend by a further year. If they activate it, the asking price for a sale would reportedly land in the €50-60m range.

According to Goal.com’s reporting, Fernandes is seeking around €13m net annually on his next contract. That figure complicates both an extension at Old Trafford and any suitor’s calculations.

Alemany’s free-transfer playbook

Atletico’s effort is being led by Mateu Alemany, their Director of Men’s Professional Football. Alemany built a reputation at Barcelona by landing experienced names on favourable terms as their contracts wound down, bringing in Ilkay Gundogan, Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang through that route.

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He is not alone in watching. Juventus, AC Milan, Galatasaray and several Saudi Arabian clubs are tracking the same contract timeline.

United’s wage problem

The Fernandes negotiations have become tangled in United’s own pay structure. Marcus Rashford’s reintegration, reportedly on a package worth around £390,000 a week with bonuses, had been expected to leave Fernandes as the squad’s top earner. Instead, the captain’s demands sit above what INEOS wants to commit without breaking the pay ladder.

Fernandes’s current release clause is reported at €65m, roughly £55.1m, a figure that would ordinarily look modest for a player of his profile and that gains weight as the deal counts down.

Contract deadlock with United

Fernandes captained Portugal in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence against Denmark during the current international break, providing two assists in a 4-2 win.

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Contract talks between Fernandes and United remain unresolved as of 6 October 2026, with his current deal expiring on 30 June 2027.

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