Bruno Fernandes rejects second Manchester United contract offer

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has turned down a second offer of a new contract, according to reporting by BBC Sport and Sky Sports. The 32-year-old midfielder's current agreement runs until the end of the season, although United retain an option to extend it for another year. No new agreement has been announced in the reports.

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Sky Sports reported that United made their first proposal during the summer, when discussions over a replacement deal began. Fernandes rejected that offer as well. Talks are expected to continue, and the club have made clear that they want their captain to stay at Old Trafford. The latest rejection therefore does not amount to a confirmed decision to leave United.

Fernandes' recent individual honours provide part of the backdrop to those negotiations. Sky Sports noted that he was named PFA Player of the Year in August after supplying 21 assists last season, a Premier League record. The same report said Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal had shown interest last season; it did not announce a new transfer agreement or destination.

BBC Sport's Simon Stone and Sean Kearns reported that United would be almost certain to exercise their extension option before 1 January if a fresh contract cannot be agreed. That option would keep Fernandes under contract until 2028. Without an extension or new deal, January would bring him within the final six months of his agreement, allowing a pre-contract arrangement with an overseas club.

The BBC said the timing of Fernandes' rejection was unclear. The negotiations are also taking place during a change of head coach: Michael Carrick was dismissed on Thursday following United's worst start to a domestic campaign in 40 years. The report did not give a confirmed timetable for resolving the captain's contract situation.

Fernandes joined United from Sporting in 2020, having come close to a move to Tottenham the previous year. The Portugal midfielder has scored six goals in 13 appearances for United this season, according to BBC Sport. For now, his existing contract and the club's extension option remain in place while a longer-term agreement is unresolved.