AFCON 2025
Manchester United have rejected interest from Turkish champions Galatasaray for captain Bruno Fernandes, with the club making clear that the Portuguese midfielder is not for sale before the transfer window closes.
Galatasaray had been exploring a move for the 31-year-old, with reports suggesting the Turkish champions were prepared to test United’s resolve with an offer in the region of €50 million. United’s hierarchy, however, remain convinced that Fernandes should not be allowed to leave this summer.
Fernandes is currently in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, having joined the club in 2020. Despite his advancing contract situation, United view their captain as too important to sell, particularly with a Champions League campaign ahead.
Club officials reportedly describe Fernandes as a long-term leader in the dressing room, with his creativity and leadership regarded as vital to the team’s ambitions this season. That assessment has strengthened United’s determination to keep him beyond the current window.
An overseas release clause reportedly worth around £56 million had given non-English clubs like Galatasaray a potential route to sign him, but United are said to value their captain significantly higher, at closer to £64 million. The gap between that release clause and United’s valuation makes any deal difficult to complete before the deadline.
Fernandes has not pushed for an exit, with reports suggesting he remains open to staying at Old Trafford despite the interest from Turkey. His willingness to remain, combined with United’s refusal to negotiate, makes a departure this summer increasingly unlikely.
Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk is said to see Fernandes as an ideal signing to strengthen his side’s midfield, but the financial hurdles involved in structuring a deal remain significant. Unless the Turkish club can meet United’s demands, a move appears out of reach for now.
With the transfer window entering its final weeks, all indications point to Fernandes remaining a Manchester United player, continuing his role as captain under the club’s current project.
Bruno Fernandes led Manchester United to a third-place last season and also reached a lanmark in the Premier League with a record 21 assists as he claimed the Premier League Player and Playmaker of the year awards.
