Paul Merson has questioned Manchester United’s decision to extend Bruno Fernandes‘ contract.
United announced Bruno’s contract extension earlier today, with a huge increase in his wages.
The Portuguese will now earn £240,000 per week, in a contract that runs till 2026 with an option to extend for a further year.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Merson spoke about according to him the timing of it didn’t make much sense.
“Bruno Fernandes‘ contract situation is an interesting one and pretty much sums up where Manchester United are as a club at the moment.”
“I’m not saying he’s a bad player by any stretch of the imagination, but how can they give someone a five-year contract when they haven’t even got a permanent manager?”
“What if a new manager comes in and doesn’t quite fancy Fernandes, because there’s every chance coaches won’t like the way he throws his hands up in frustration or his style of play.”
Merson’s argument does have legs as there is a chance that United’s new manager might not fancy Bruno’s overall profile.
United have made the repeated mistake of ignoring a manager’s philosophy and signing players that don’t fit in well with his style of play.
Yes, the 27 year old has produced great numbers for United, but that might not be enough for some coaches.
Merson went on to say:
“He’s a good player and I like him, but he hasn’t set the world alight at Manchester United this season.”
“I just find it a bit strange that they’ve given a massive long-term contract to a player when they haven’t sorted out their managerial dilemma, it’s a big call by the club.”