Did Man Utd make a mistake offering Fernandes a new deal?
FT Desk
- 2 Apr 2022 16:45 BST
- 7 min read
Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has admitted that he’s “completely and utterly shocked” that Manchester United offered Bruno Fernandes a new contract.
As reported by FootballTransfers, the Portugal international accepted an extension to his deal which will see the midfielder stay put at Old Trafford for at least another four years.
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What’s more, the new deal will also see Fernandes’ wages double and join some of the highest paid players at the club.
However, while Man Utd fans may be delighted to see one of their key players commit his future to the club, Merson wasn’t entirely sure that it was the correct move from the club.
"You give him a four-year extension, more money, a manager comes in he might not like Fernandes, he might not like all the throwing the hands up, the moaning that he does when he doesn't get the ball,” said Merson on Sky Sports.
“He might have someone, it might be the lad at Ajax [Erik ten Hag], who's got someone else and thinks 'I've got someone who I want to bring in who wants to play my way'.
"I'm completely and utterly shocked. I cannot believe what's happening. Everything is just being done off the cuff. It's been done off the cuff for the last couple of years at Man Utd."
Did Man Utd make a mistake?
While Merson makes a fair point about tying Fernandes down to a new deal before the new manager has his say, in reality there was never going to be a scenario in which the Portugal international wasn’t central to any Man Utd team going forward.
Unlike Paul Pogba, who looks set to leave this summer when his deal expires, or Cristiano Ronaldo, who may also depart in the summer transfer window, Fernandes is a bonafide star and should be the player that Man Utd built their next squad around.
As such, the Old Trafford side have undoubtedly done their next manager a favour by making sure one of the club’s best players is fully committed to the project long before the man on the sidelines begins making plans for the future.
