AC Milan and Amorim eye Bruno Fernandes as United captaincy row deepens

AC Milan are tracking Bruno Fernandes as the Manchester United captain’s future at Old Trafford grows increasingly uncertain, with Italian outlet Calciomercato reporting that Ruben Amorim’s side are aware of a €65 million (£54.4m) release clause for foreign clubs in the 32-year-old’s current contract.

Fernandes was dropped by United manager Michael Carrick for Sunday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat to Bournemouth, with Harry Maguire wearing the armband in his place. Carrick described the decision as a “football decision” and had previously refused to rule out stripping Fernandes of the captaincy permanently. The benching followed Fernandes publicly criticising Carrick’s tactics after last week’s 4-1 Champions League loss at Como — comments that have visibly strained the pair’s relationship.

Fernandes has entered the final year of his contract and talks over a renewal have reportedly stalled, leaving United exposed. The club do hold an option to extend his deal by 12 months, which could prevent them from losing him for nothing, but his reported wages of €10.2m (£8.5m) per year may complicate any move to Milan. Calciomercato suggests the Italian club could prefer to wait until June 2027 and sign him on a free transfer rather than triggering the release clause in January.

Amorim, who was sacked by United earlier this year, has a well-documented admiration for Fernandes. It was partly Amorim’s presence at Old Trafford that persuaded Fernandes to reject a lucrative Saudi Arabia move in the summer of 2025. The former United boss has spoken warmly of his compatriot’s leadership qualities.

“He’s a leader,” Amorim said of Fernandes during his time at United. “He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he’s not talking and speaking. He’s always speaking. That’s why he’s the captain. He has bad things sometimes, the way he moves his arms on the pitch, but has a lot of good things too. He’s a great leader all the time.”

The 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth has left Carrick’s own position under pressure, with United’s hierarchy now facing decisions on both the manager and their captain simultaneously. Whether Fernandes pushes for a January exit or runs down his contract will likely depend on how quickly the situation at Old Trafford resolves itself.