Bruno Fernandes: Man United decision will hand Mason Mount the chance he has waited for

Bruno Fernandes’ future at Manchester United is no longer as secure as it once appeared.

Keeping the captain was, for a long time, a clear priority. That stance has shifted. Fernandes’ recent conduct has left the club distinctly unimpressed. A captain publicly questioning his coach’s tactical judgement crosses a line, and United did respond by dropping him.

Yet the Portuguese playmaker then compounded the issue. After being left out against Bournemouth, he liked an Instagram post that read: “Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care.”

Bruno Fernandes now expected to leave Manchester United

For many observers, that sequence of events may have sealed his fate.

United now look increasingly ready to move him on. A fresh report claims that INEOS will activate the one-year option in his contract solely to protect the club’s position, then look to cash in on him next year rather than risk losing him for nothing.

Should Fernandes depart, United will need a ready-made replacement. Replacing the Portuguese magnifico will be tricky, but I believe they may already have the ideal candidate in their own ranks.

Mason Mount is far more productive as a No.10

At Derby County, Mason Mount first caught the eye operating as a classic number 10. His creativity and influence in that role convinced Chelsea to recall him and hand him a central part in their attack.

He quickly established himself as the man who pulled the strings for the Blues.

Across 124 starts as an attacking midfielder for Chelsea, he delivered 24 goals and 28 assists. The pattern has continued at Old Trafford.

In 71 appearances for United, he has started 44 times in the No.10 role and scored seven times. By contrast, in the 27 occasions he has been shunted into central midfield or out wide (played out of position), he has produced just one goal and one assist.

Mount thrives on high-intensity movement, receiving the ball in tight spaces and delivering in the final third. Those attributes make him markedly more dangerous as a pure attacking midfielder.

Until now, Fernandes’ consistency has blocked any realistic chance of Mount securing that position regularly.

A Mount-for-Fernandes switch could arrive sooner than expected

That barrier may soon disappear. Fernandes has gone seven matches without a goal or an assist and is struggling to influence games.

His reported friction with Michael Carrick, a coach INEOS will continue to back despite poor performances, only increases the likelihood that the captain loses his automatic starting place.

Youri Tielemans does not look a natural fit as a No.10. Carrick could therefore turn to Mount in that role. Should the former Chelsea man seize the opportunity, he will have a genuine chance to transform his Old Trafford career.

Featured image by Michael Regan via Getty Images