Man Utd open talks to sign PL “beast”

There’s never a dull moment at Manchester United, with Bruno Fernandes chucking a proverbial grenade into the mix in the wake of Monday’s 4-4 thriller against Bournemouth.

Having rifled home a free-kick in pinpoint fashion to level things up at 3-3 on the night, the Portuguese genius reacted with an impassioned celebration, but the question was, whom was he directing it at?

Well, following the release of an interview that was reportedly carried out a few weeks ago, we may now have the answer, with the 31-year-old claiming that he feels that sections of the Old Trafford hierarchy intended to sell him over the summer, yet lacked the “courage” to do so.

The United skipper – who previously spoke openly about turning down Saudi side Al Hilal – also flirted with the prospect of securing a move away, after voicing the possible appeal of playing in Italy or Spain across the remainder of his career.

With just 18 months left to run on his current deal in Manchester, Fernandes has ensured his future will remain a talking point until next summer at least, with plans needing to be put in place in case the midfielder does drift off to pastures new.

Man Utd make move for potential future captain after Fernandes

The timing of that bombshell interview is intriguing, with Fernandes having seemingly finally found his groove in Ruben Amorim‘s midfield duo, having registered seven goals and assists across his last four Premier League outings.

Indeed, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has bettered the ex-Sporting CP star’s tally of 12 goal involvements in 2025/26 to date, with the United talisman remaining so influential even in this deep-lying role.

Installed as captain back in the summer of 2023, after Harry Maguire had been stripped of the responsibility by Erik ten Hag, Fernandes has been at the centre of everything good about the club for over half a decade now, notably ending last season with 38 goals and assists in all competitions.

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If the end is to be in sight, however, Amorim and INEOS will not only need to replace a majestic midfielder, but also the key leadership figure, hence the wisdom in pursuing a current top-flight captain, in the form of Marc Guehi.

According to TEAMtalk, United are among a raft of clubs who have held talks with the Crystal Palace star’s agents, with the Red Devils having alerted the Englishman’s representatives that they are willing to offer terms to him, heading into 2026.

While any suitor could pounce to strike a knock-down deal in January, the expectation remains that the 25-year-old will leave Selhurst Park for free when his contract expires in June, with the report outlining how his inner circle are viewing him as potentially ‘one of the most wanted free agents of all time’.

Having been so close to joining Liverpool on deadline day earlier this year, how sweet it would be for United to poach the ex-Chelsea man instead.

Why Guehi could be a perfect signing for Man Utd

Much of the focus for new additions has been on the midfield unit and the wing-back roles, with that latter search leading to United’s strong interest in Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo.

As reported this week, the Ghanaian is believed to be open to making that move, following his stellar strike on Monday evening, with the Cherries’ talisman available for £65m, due to a release clause which becomes active on 1st January.

The lack of depth out wide and centrally remains a key issue, although United’s latest outing also exposed that even the defensive line can look depleted relatively swiftly, with Amorim forced to deploy something of a makeshift lineup that included the teenage pairing of Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, alongside Luke Shaw.

Perhaps as to be expected, that new look set-up – in the absence of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt – looked creaky and chaotic, having been opened up far too easily and far too readily on the night.

With Maguire also out of contract himself this summer, and the returning Lisandro Martinez only just back from an ACL issue, a further centre-back reinforcement could be just what is needed.

Indeed, it would be no surprise if Guehi swiftly assumes a leading role in Amorim’s side, potentially even replicating his compatriot Maguire in taking the armband soon into his Old Trafford career, with the latter man replacing Ashley Young as skipper in January 2020, after just six months at the club.

The man who led Palace to FA Cup glory last season, defeating Manchester City in the Wembley showpiece, Guehi has rightly earned rave reviews for his standout performances in recent seasons, having been described as a “beast” of a defender by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Now a regular fixture at international level too, the 26-cap Three Lions star has been hailed for his “leadership qualities” by ex-interim boss Lee Carsley, having previously captained the U21 side in the past.

With the likes of Maguire and Casemiro out of contract, Martinez repeatedly struck down by injury and the aforementioned De Ligt not even part of the current leadership group under Amorim, it would be no shock for Guehi to assume captaincy status, provided United can win the race for his signature.

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A man who ranks in the top 6% of Premier League centre-backs for progressive carries, and the top 8% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref, Guehi is the perfect modern-day defender, albeit while possessing that old-school defensive nous too, having won 71% of his aerial duels this season, as per Sofascore.

And so, whether Fernandes does depart next summer or beyond, Guehi would be a more than worthy successor to the captaincy at Old Trafford.

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