Bruno Fernandes rejects second Manchester United contract offer
On 13 November 2026 Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes rejected a second contract offer from the club in talks over a new deal at Old Trafford.
Fernandes, who joined Manchester United from Sporting in 2020, is out of contract at the end of the season but the club have the option to trigger a 12-month extension until 2028. United have been in recent months in talks with the Portuguese's representatives and are keen to extend the 32-year-old's existing deal. Sources have told BBC Sport that Fernandes has rejected the club's second proposal.
Should United fail to agree a fresh deal with Fernandes, it is almost certain that the club will trigger a 12-month extension in his contract before 1 January. At that point the midfielder would be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs as his contract would be within six months of expiring. It is unclear when Fernandes turned down the offer, and a quick resolution appears unlikely given upheaval at the club.
Michael Carrick was sacked as head coach on Thursday following the club's worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years. Mauricio Pochettino is expected to replace Carrick, with the Argentine set to be in charge for the first time when United travel to Anfield to face rivals Liverpool on 22 November. United will be hoping that Pochettino's arrival will persuade Fernandes to commit his future to the club.
Fernandes came close to joining Pochettino's Tottenham in 2019 but a move failed to materialise, with the midfielder signing for United six months later. The former Sporting midfielder has scored six times in 13 matches for United this season.
Negotiations over top players commonly involve multiple offers and refusals, and United do have the option to add an extra year to Fernandes' deal. There are reasons both parties might be cautious about a long-term commitment at this stage: on Fernandes' part a desire to compete for the biggest prizes and, as the source put it, an awareness that the best years of his career are limited. The player will want to see what impact Mauricio Pochettino has when he arrives.
Fernandes was coveted by the Saudi Pro League 18 months ago, although the feeling has been he would prefer to stay in Europe. United will have noted Fernandes' alarming drop-off from the levels he hit last season, when he broke the Premier League assists record and won all the major player of the year honours. Liverpool committed a huge amount of money to Mohamed Salah's last contract and that turned out to be a heavy financial burden; United will not want to get saddled with a major contract over an extended period for an underperforming player.
If no new agreement is reached the club are expected to activate the 12-month option before 1 January; Mauricio Pochettino is due to take charge for the first time when United travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on 22 November.
