Fernandes, Martinez, Maguire and Shaw all face contract uncertainty at Manchester United

Manchester United are facing contract decisions on four first-team regulars before the close of the 2026/27 season, with Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw all set to become free agents unless the club acts.

Fernandes is the most pressing case. United hold a 12-month extension option on the Portuguese midfielder’s deal and have already opened talks over a longer contract. He remains the club’s most influential player — he broke the Premier League assist record last season — though he has made a mixed start to the current campaign and missed Portugal’s UEFA Nations League fixture against Norway with a knock sustained in the weeks leading up to the international break.

Martinez is in a similar contractual position, with United also holding a one-year option on the Argentine defender. After returning late to pre-season following the World Cup, he was on the bench for the opening-day win over Hull but has started all five league games since. An unfortunate own goal against Fulham aside, he has re-established himself alongside Harry Maguire as manager Michael Carrick’s first-choice centre-back partnership.

Maguire signed a new one-year deal in April that itself carries a 12-month extension clause, giving United flexibility with both of their preferred central defenders. That breathing room does not extend to Shaw, however. The left-back’s contract contains no club option, meaning United must negotiate fresh terms if they want to keep him beyond the summer.

Shaw is now the club’s longest-serving player, having passed the 12-year mark since his £30 million move from Southampton in June 2013 — a fee that made him one of the most expensive teenagers in the world at the time. The 31-year-old started every Premier League match last season, becoming only the fifth player to achieve that feat in a United shirt, though the Reds played their fewest games in 115 years after failing to qualify for European football.

Shaw has already missed three matches this season with a minor complaint but returned to start against Fulham before the break. United chose not to sign a left-back during the summer window despite identifying targets, and strengthening the position is expected to be a priority next summer regardless of whether Shaw stays.