By Tom Gott
One of the most surprising parts of the speculation that comes with the end of the season has been the uncertainty surrounding Bruno Fernandes' future at Manchester United.
While nobody can fairly question his talent - Fernandes leads United in both goals and assists this season - questions have been asked over whether he is the right fit for the team heading into the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era.
United don't need to be pushing Fernandes out the door, but here are four reasons why they shouldn't be ruling out an exit either.
He doesn't fit the timeline
Are United winning the title next season? Let's be realistic. The Red Devils are preparing for their third rebuild in as many summers, with a number of young players fighting to prove they deserve to be cornerstones of the future.
Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund are the obvious highlights of the young crop, who are going to need a good few years to grow together before they are capable of really moving the needle in English football.
With that in mind, what good is relying on Fernandes, who will turn 30 in September, for immediate results? Do you want a win-now team or are you building for the future? Being lost between a rebuild and the relentless quest for perfection may be harming United, who need to sort out their identity in the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era.
His prime is running out
Perhaps it's time for Fernandes to get selfish. He's nearly 30 which, as any Football Manager player will tell you, means his time at the top is coming close to an end. Father Time is not always kind to do-it-all attacking midfielders.
With, let's say, two or three years left of prime Fernandes, should he really be waiting around for United to find the sort of stability needed to deliver silverware? A move now may be the only opportunity for Fernandes to be the guy on a title-winning team.
His connection to United is admirable, but sometimes players have to think about themselves. We saw it with Harry Kane last summer as he jumped ship from Tottenham to Bayern Munich, knowing full-well he can't maintain his current levels forever. Fernandes should be open to doing the same.
An expensive sale
United need: two new centre-backs, improvements at full-back, a reliable defensive midfielder, more firepower out wide and another striker. That's an expensive shopping list - but one which selling Fernandes would make far more realistic.
Fernandes is contracted to United until 2026 - the club also hold a 12-month extension clause - so this may be the last summer that the Red Devils can demand silly money for their talisman, particularly once he hits the dreaded Three Zero in September. A fee of £80m or so is more than justifiable this summer.
That sort of money would go a long way to help Ratcliffe rebuild this squad and enter a new era.
The Mason Mount conundrum
Erik ten Hag sanctioned the big-money move for Mason Mount last summer as he wanted the former Chelsea midfielder to help out in front of his defence. Not only was that a huge tactical miss, but Mount's role in the team was further thrown into doubt when Mainoo proved to be exactly what the boss was looking for in the first place.
Mount is now an attacking midfielder once again, but the problem is he plays in the same position as Fernandes. If United actually have faith in their £60m signing, he may need to start ahead of the Portugal international.
It's hard to justify choosing Mount over Fernandes at this point but, with everything else mentioned in this article, United should consider cutting ties and fully committing to the current state of their squad.
This article was originally published on 90min.com as 4 reasons why Bruno Fernandes should leave Man Utd.
