Saudi Arabia has offered a sky-high price to buy the team captain. Can Manchester United withstand the temptation of 100 million pounds?

Can Manchester United withstand the temptation of 100 million pounds?

When the Saudi Professional League throws a sky-high offer of up to 100 million pounds to Bruno Fernandez, Manchester United is facing the most difficult choice since the end of the Sir Ferguson era: Should we sell the team's soul to save this struggling body? In February 2023, in the match against Fulham, Bruno Fernandez's ankle was swollen like a huge watermelon. Instead of opting to leave the game, he soaked in ice water for two hours, using alternate hot and cold therapy just to catch up on the next FA Cup against Nottingham Forest and played the game four days later.

In an era where many players actively demand rotation because they "feel tired" or "before 100% in their state", Bruno's existence seems to be a retrograde. He does not belong to the new generation of players who put himself on the team, nor does he belong to those glamorous but lacks fighting spirit. He is the product of another era - an era in which Old Trafford cannot be weak and his jerseys bear responsibility and pride.

In the five and a half years since joining Manchester United, he has played 288 times, with a total playing time of 24,474 minutes. What does this number mean? Since landing in England in February 2020, he has played more than any midfielder in the Premier League and European competitions in any of the top five European leagues.

This season, he contributed 19 goals and 17 assists. He has directly participated in 112 goals over the past five and a half seasons, even surpassing De Bruyne (100 times). In addition, he created 535 scoring opportunities, far higher than De Bruyne's 430. Bruno is not only a star, but also the only galaxy in Manchester United's sky during the dark period.

Unlike other young players who are addicted to social media and video games, Bruno will watch Polish League videos while waiting for the team's bus. Former teammate Juan Mata called him a "ball fool" - an evaluation that is rare in today's football world.

He not only watches football, but also studies games. He will analyze the referee's judgment habits, opponent's defensive loopholes, and the gap in the offense. Even if there are important games the next day, he will stay on the training ground to practice free kicks and penalty kicks. His teammates have already left, and he is still observing, thinking, and improving.

After Andre Onana made a major mistake against Bayern, Bruno stood up and said to the media: "We are a whole who lost the game, not a person's responsibility."

When first-team employees need to pay for the transportation costs of the FA Cup finals out of their own pocket, he silently paid for them; when the families of women's players could not get enough tickets, he and goalkeeper Tom Heaton used the locker room fine fund to buy more tickets.

Bruno not only leads the team on the court, he also becomes the core force in the locker room off the court. As the club experienced layoffs and internal turmoil, he took the initiative to organize gatherings to try to maintain the cohesion of the team.

Now, with him about to turn 31, the huge sum of money from Saudi Arabia's rich man knocking on the door of Old Trafford again, Manchester United must make a decision: Should we keep this spiritual leader, or let it go in exchange for huge amounts of funds?

If Bruno is sold, Manchester United will receive a large amount of transfer funds. But who can take on the heavy responsibility he left behind in the next season? Who can play more than 50 games in a row without complaining? Who can speak out in the locker room and stand up at critical moments? Who can complete multiple tasks such as goals, assists, grabbing, and organization at the same time?

As a club insider said: "Manchester United needs two or even ten Bruno Fernandez to withstand the pressure brought here."

Bruno's value is not just money

He may not be a talented person like Ronaldo or Cantona, but in Manchester United's most confused and bleakest moment, he is the only player who still burns the spirit of the Red Devils. Selling him is not only a loss of a top player, but also a kind of surrender to the logic of "money first" in modern football.

There was a famous saying in the Ferguson era: "No one is more important than a club." But that was when Old Trafford was still an unshakable fortress and when Manchester United could still attract world-class stars.

Now, when the attractiveness of the wealthy families is no longer and when top talents are difficult to introduce, retaining a spiritual banner like Bruno is no longer a tactical issue, but a fundamental issue about value orientation, identity and the club's future.

So, the real question is not "Should Manchester United sell Bruno?" but -

If Manchester United chooses to sell Bruno, is it still the United we are familiar with?

This is the real "one hundred million pounds question".