Bruno Fernandes hasn’t missed a single game due to injury since joining Manchester United in January 2020. He has started so many games that it’s hard to imagine a squad without him on it.
However, the Red Devils captain turns 30 this year, and it will be difficult for INEOS’s redesigned hiring process to succeed such a well-known individual.
Ratcliffe has emphasized that Omar Berrada, the club’s new chief executive, and his group—which includes Dan Ashworth, the anticipated new sporting director—will determine the team’s style of play.
In 220 United games, Fernandes has 71 goals and 62 assists, highlighting his significance over the past four years. All it takes to realize that nearly everything passes through him is to watch the squad play.
But given the Portugal international’s unpredictable and high-risk nature when handling the ball, a new strategy might require a different kind of midfielder.
When the time comes for Fernandes to leave, United will surely already have a shortlist of possible alternatives to keep an eye on.
But there may already be a ready-made replacement within Old Trafford’s walls, one who is well-liked by both teammates and supporters.
Throughout an otherwise dismal season, Kobbie Mainoo’s remarkable breakout has been one of the few bright spots. The eighteen-year-old is a regular fixture in Ten Hag’s midfield with Fernandes.
With his poise on the ball and remarkable maturity off it, he has played as the only holding midfielder and a box-to-box player between Fernandes and Casemiro.
But as a consistent starter for the United in the years to come, Mainoo might move into a more senior position.
Some club insiders, according to The Athletic, think Mainoo can play as a No. 10, a position that Fernandes presently holds.
The United No. 37 is no stranger to attacking plays. In the club’s youth divisions, he alternated between playing as a winger and a striker. Last month, he showed off his skills by scoring an incredible winning goal against Wolves.
One of the most accomplished midfielders in football history, Casemiro, has also acknowledged the talent of the Stockport native.
“Since I play with him, I can assure you that Manchester United will have one of the top midfielders in the Premier League for many years to come,” he stated. as long as he maintains his composure, which he is doing right now.”
The fact that Mainoo can succeed in a variety of team roles is a testament to the enormous significance he will play in the future. He can make sure that nobody notices Fernandes’s eventual absence.