Five players Man Utd can replace Bruno Fernandes with

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 14 May 2024 15:39 BST
• 4 min read

Bayern Munich are looking to make a move for Bruno Fernandes this summer, according to reports, and it’s believed that the Manchester United attacker may be open to a switch to the Bundesliga.

The playmaker could well depart Old Trafford and the club’s hierarchy ‘would be willing to do a deal since they need to sell players in order to meet Profit and Sustainability Rule requirements’, reports The Independent.

The 29-year-old has cut a frustrated figure a lot of the time with the Premier League giants and it could be that he moves on in the upcoming window.

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Fernandes is approaching 30 years old and it’s thought that Ineos are looking to bring the age of the squad down.

FootballTransfers has looked through SciSports data to see which players are most similar to the Portugal international, filtering names 25 years old and under, as well as having an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of no more than €50 million.

Conor Gallagher

Conor Gallagher could leave Chelsea, who are battling their own PSR concerns. Despite the influx of midfielders that the Blues bought in over the summer last year, the England international has stood out as one of the brighter squad members when performing this term.

He remains close to Chelsea fans’ hearts, but the club have been ruthless when it comes to selling on talent who have been at Stamford Bridge from a young age. It may not be a hugely exciting name, but Gallagher is a dependable, hard-working player with rich Premier League experience.

Oihan Sancet

Oihan Sancet is one of the key members of Athletic Bilbao’s squad. The midfielder has 12 goal contributions in 38 games for the La Liga outfit.

The No.10 has flown under the radar somewhat, but he is a rich talent, and at just 24 years old, is some way off being the finished article. He is thought to be contracted to his current side until 2032, having signed an extension last year, so it might cost a fair bit to prise him away from Bilbao.

Exequiel Palacios

Exequiel Palacios helped Bayer Leverkusen to their first-ever Bundesliga trophy under Xabi Alonso. The German outfit stunned the footballing world with their dominant displays and high-octane philosophy.

The Argentine was at the heart of this, and so will consequently been looked at by some elite clubs during the summer window. SciSports believes that the 26-year-old would be a good replacement for Fernandes, while Palacios is arguably a more versatile player of the pair.

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Joe Willock

Joe Willock showed Man Utd what he is capable of earlier in the season - coming back from an injury, his goal helped Newcastle to an Old Trafford win in the League Cup. He is one of the Magpie’s most under-appreciated footballers. But the trouble is that injury concerns has let him down this campaign and so he has not been able to truly show what he’s about.

Willock can find the net, dribble, pass, but he is also an astute tackler, arguably a bit more of a No.8 than a No.10. A deal would be quite unlikely given his price but perhaps Man Utd can offer a bit more game-time than Newcastle as a sweetener, with Eddie Howe often looking to rotate his squad.

Curtis Jones

Curtis Jones is a hugely talented player, but obviously his allegiance to Liverpool makes this an unlikely deal. Amid the star names at Anfield, Jones is another player who often gets overlooked. Rivalries aside, this would be an astute piece of business for Man Utd, though it would not be the most popular move.

Jones is an all-round player who can create chances and also help in transition. The youngster was developed by Jurgen Klopp so you can count that he is happy to get stuck in and press for a full 90 minutes