Reports suggest that Manchester United is considering a bold move, offering their captain Bruno Fernandes in a potential swap deal during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Fernandes, who has contributed 10 goals and seven assists in the Premier League this season, hinted at the possibility of a transfer away from United, remarking, “Obviously, it doesn’t just depend on me, does it?”.
According to Spanish newspaper Nacional via Football365, United is contemplating a significant exchange. The proposal involves Fernandes heading to Barcelona while United would secure their top target, Frenkie de Jong.
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United pursued the Dutch midfielder throughout the 2022 summer window but failed to secure his signature, eventually signing Casemiro for £70 million. Despite remaining at Barcelona, De Jong reportedly remains a target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s objectives.
However, unwilling to meet Barcelona’s £77.5 million valuation for De Jong, United is purportedly willing to include Fernandes as part of the deal. The proposed offer would involve United paying a fee of £17 million for De Jong, with Fernandes included in the transfer.
It’s suggested that Fernandes is open to joining Barcelona and is even willing to lower his salary to represent the Blaugrana.
De Jong previously played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, and the United boss recently acknowledged him as the essential signing to implement his preferred style of play. When asked about the pursuit of De Jong by Gary Neville, Ten Hag commented, “That would have been Frenkie de Jong and Casemiro. [They would have] really been connected with each other. They would have been really complimentary with each other. Absolutely. That is a typical player if you want to play the Ajax style. You need that type of player.”