Bruno trade! Could Man Utd replace Fernandes with Guimaraes? Michael Owen offers transfer window advice to Red Devils & Newcastle

Fernandes has passed six years of loyal service in Manchester, reaching 320 appearances in the process. He has posted triple figures for goals and assists, with centuries across both of those departments being reached in record-setting time.

The armband has been filled since succeeding Harry Maguire in that role, with the responsibility that comes with being an on-field leader helping to bring the best out of a mercurial talent. Fernandes has helped to drag United through some difficult times.

He is, however, 31 years of age and continues to attract interest from the Saudi Pro League - with lucrative contracts to be found in the Middle East. Fernandes has claimed that United were open to a sale in 2025. Offers may be welcomed again some 12 months on.

If Fernandes were to leave, with it already being announced that Casemiro is set to depart as a free agent, then midfield reinforcements would be required in the next transfer window. It has been suggested that Samba star Guimaraes is registering on the Old Trafford recruitment radar.

Newcastle have been quick to quash that speculation, but rumours rarely die down quickly. With that in mind, could a couple of Brunos form part of movement at two Uniteds in the summer of 2026?

When that question was put to Owen, the Premier League title winner - speaking exclusively with GOAL as the official UK ambassador for Casino.org, a trusted comparison website highlighting the best online casinos for UK players - said: “It's a really interesting one with Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United because you get to a stage in his career whereby you could probably still command a lot of money, but he is not a spring chick anymore, is he? However, he is so good that part of you, if I was on the Manchester United hierarchy, I'd be just thinking: ‘Do you know what, yes, we can recoup X amount of millions, but he is so good and so important to us’.

“And now, in this phase where Manchester United are actually looking like they're coming back and you would think that this momentum is probably only going to grow, I would probably do everything I can to keep him and just let him play out his years in a red shirt.

“He's as good as anything in the Premier League, I think. He was head and shoulders above every Manchester United player for years and years. And that was when the team was struggling - how he kept his levels. But now the team are doing really well. he's doing even better. And I just think without him, you're not back to square one, but without him, you're severely hurting the team.

“Someone like Casemiro is going to leave and you're going to do really well to replace a player like that. There will be others that leave, but they are replaceable. I just don't think Bruno Fernandes is.

“I'm a huge admirer of Bruno Guimaraes but Fernandes is different. Fernandes, you just don't find them in world football. It's a big decision for Manchester United. It's a big decision for Bruno himself. Let's not just think that the club get all the say here. But if it was me, I would probably bite the bullet. I think sod the value now, the value to us in terms of him and the team for another three or four years is far greater than grabbing 100 million. I would probably keep him.”

Owen added on events at St James’ Park: “Bruno Guimaraes, it'd be really interesting to see how that plays out. Obviously, they've got some very good players. Europe is looking a little bit dicey for Newcastle, so it'll be an interesting club, Newcastle, over the summer. Lets see what happens.

“I'm of a really strong opinion that Eddie Howe is one of the very, very best in the business. For anybody to start questioning his position and things like that, just be very, very, very careful what you wish for, because he will go to somebody equally as good as Newcastle, if not better, and it would be galling then for Newcastle to slip away and all the rest of it.

“Here's a manager that won their first trophy, got them in the Champions League, talking about statues and knighthoods and everything only a few months ago.

“They're still within touching distance of European places. Agreed, it's not been a good season, but Manchester United and Tottenham were like fifth and fourth from bottom, or sixth and fifth from bottom or something like that. Tottenham are down there again. It can happen.

“This is a really tough Premier League, so that club is a fascinating one at the moment. I would be very, very, very careful as to shaking things up. If I was Newcastle, I'd try to keep all the players, keep the manager, put it down to just a quiet season.”

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