Manchester United legend Steve Bruce has warned Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe over the idea of axing the Premier League club’s “one shining light” this summer.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos team will be at the helm of their first summer transfer window at Manchester United since he became co-owner of the club.
The 71-year-old British billionaire captured a minority stake in United in 2023, which the Football Association (FA) and the Premier League later ratified.
Ratcliffe’s deal for United included Ineos taking control of football operations at Old Trafford, having already made changes behind the scenes at the club.
Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox have become chief executive and technical director respectively, while Jean-Claude Blanc sits on the board of directors at United.
Former Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth is also believed to be another top target that Ineos are keen to bring to Old Trafford as part of their shake-up.
United are tipped to reinforce their first team this summer after a lacklustre Premier League campaign under manager Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils finished eighth in the league table and will be without Champions League football for the 2024-25 Premier League season.
However, United secured Europa League football for the following campaign after Erik ten Hag’s men produced a sensational FA Cup final win over Manchester City.
Bruce’s message to Ratcliffe about Man Utd star
Manchester United have already confirmed the likes of Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane will be moved on from Old Trafford this summer.
According to Sky Sports in April, reports emerged that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos would be open to a massive summer clearout of the first-team squad at the club.
It was reported at the time that United would be open to bids for almost all of their players, including the likes of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
However, it was believed that United trio Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund would be the only players that were ‘off limits.’
Bruno Fernandes’ future at Old Trafford has been plunged into doubt in recent months, despite his importance to Erik ten Hag’s first team.
The 29-year-old United star was promoted to the club captaincy last summer and has been a pivotal figure since his £47m move from Sporting CP in 2020.
When asked about Bruno Fernandes’ future at United, Steve Bruce told talkSPORT: “He cannot leave.
“Look, for me, the one shining light in the last few years at Manchester United has been Bruno.
“I mean, he plays with huge intensity. Yes, he gets a bit frustrated at times and can be a bit petulant at times, but in terms of a footballer, just look at the statistics…
“He plays 50 games a season and he scores 15 to 20 goals a season and is at the top of the assists, too. He is a top, top player… you don’t want to be losing him.”
Fernandes keen for Man Utd stay
Bruno Fernandes is under contract with United until 2026 and has reportedly been linked with clubs like Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
The Portugal international, who is one of the club’s top earners, insisted that he wanted to stay at Old Trafford ahead of the FA Cup final in May.
“I love to step out at Old Trafford more than anything in the world,” he told The Players’ Tribune.
“I don’t want to leave. This has always been my ultimate dream. I just want my expectations to fit with the expectations of the club.
“If you go talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to compete for the league.
“We want to be playing Champions League football. We want to be in cup finals. That is the standard.”