Talks between Manchester United and Bruno Fernandes’ camp have not produced an agreement, Fabrizio Romano says, and the hold-up is not only about money.
“There is still no agreement, and so is the reality,” Romano said.
He pinned the stall on something that happened over the summer rather than on cold feet from either side.
“It’s not just about the salary, and the salary is a topic. Since Marcus Rashford returned to Manchester United with a huge salary, obviously the structure has changed again, and so the salary is a point, but it’s also about the length of the contract, about the release clause.”
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Rashford’s £325,000 wrinkle
Rashford earns £325,000 a week at Old Trafford and is now the club’s highest-paid player. He returned to United after a 2025-26 loan at Barcelona, which the Catalan club chose not to turn into a permanent transfer when their €30 million purchase option expired in June.
That return has lifted the salary ceiling Fernandes, the club captain, must now be fitted under. Romano has pointed to the length of the deal and the release clause, currently set at €65 million (£55.1m) and only usable by clubs outside the Premier League, as the other two sticking points.
United still hold the clock
Fernandes’ current deal runs out in the summer of 2027, with United holding a one-year option that could take him to 2028. That cushion is why Romano is not calling it a crisis.
“At the moment, I don’t think it’s time to be worried yet for Man Utd fans,” he told reporters.
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The 32-year-old has himself said he wanted to stay. He turned down approaches from Saudi Pro League and Turkish clubs over the summer, with Al-Hilal having previously tabled an offer worth around £100 million. Juventus are among the clubs reported to be watching his situation, and United expect more major offers to arrive in 2027 if a deal is not done first.
INEOS prepared to break their own ceiling
INEOS, the group running United’s football operation, is willing to break its own wage structure to keep Fernandes and intends to trigger the extension option to stop him signing a pre-contract elsewhere, according to The Peoples Person.
Michael Carrick’s team has also made a poor start to the Champions League, which the same report suggests could feed into the captain’s thinking. The next round of talks between United and Fernandes’ agent is expected in the coming weeks.
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