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| Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates scoring a goal to make the score 3-2 during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Sheffield United at Old Trafford on April 24, 2024 in Manchester, United Kingdom. |
Manchester United’s transfer strategy has come under major scrutiny in recent years, with hundreds of millions wasted on players who simply failed to reach the desired standards.
The world-record (for a defender) £80million fee for Harry Maguire and the £86m spent on Brazilian flop Antony are just two of many transfers that didn’t live up to their billing. That raises the question of just how many top players the Red Devils could have brought in with those same funds.
Even captain and talisman Bruno Fernandes shares those frustrations, having been particularly vocal about missing out on one target – his Portugal team-mate and fellow midfielder Matheus Nunes in 2022.
Nunes is now playing for rivals Manchester City, having lifted his first Premier League trophy last season. But the Red Devils had the chance to sign the 25-year-old before he even made his move to Wolves in August 2022.
United splurged a whopping £70m to bring in an ageing Casemiro instead of ramping up their pursuit of Nunes, who Wolves managed to sign for a mere £38m (rising to £43m). That was a huge mistake in hindsight, though Fernandes admitted his frustrations even then after United failed to sign his compatriot.
Fernandes told Portuguese media outlet Record: “I’ve already talked to him. I’ve already told him that he should have come here (to United) and not there (to Wolves). I’m very happy for him.
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“He’s going to experience the best league in the world, he’s going to have players beside him with a lot of quality, like Ruben (Sa) and Joao (Moutinho), who will teach him a lot. They are two experienced players.
“Matheus is doing incredible things. He has an incredible scope for growth, he is a humble, hardworking kid and I’m sure he will probably explode in the Premier League and will show his qualities. Because for his qualities Matheus was not made for the Premier League, but rather the Premier League was made for Matheus.”
United’s error in not snapping up Nunes became even more glaring when City splashed £53m on him last summer. Pep Guardiola echoed Fernandes’ praise for Nunes, dubbing him an “exceptional player”, having once hailed him as “one of the best in the world” while he was still at Sporting CP.
Nunes featured in just 17 of City’s Premier League title-winning season, making another 11 appearances across all competitions. But he will be keen to make a greater contribution in his second term at the Etihad ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Meanwhile, Fernandes’ own future at United hangs in the balance. The playmaker has been a star performer at Old Trafford since his arrival in January 2020 and was handed the captain’s armband last season.
But it turned out to be a lacklustre season for Erik ten Hag’s men, with new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe now demanding a shake-up of the entire squad. Fernandes reportedly isn’t off limits when it comes to being offered to potential suitors this summer.
French champions PSG are expected to test United’s stance on keeping their skipper. And only a couple of months back, Fernandes expressed what the Red Devils must do to keep hold of him, stating that the club “needs to want me”.
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