Bruno Fernandes’ injury absence for Manchester United means Ruben Amorim’s need for a new midfielder in January has increased and Ruben Neves could be the perfect fit
Bruno Fernandes’ injury could impact Manchester United’s transfer plans this January(Image: Manchester United via Getty Imag)
Manchester United and Ruben Amorim will be heading into 2026 without their star player in Bruno Fernandes after he sustained a muscle injury in Sunday’s Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.
Fernandes picked up the issue towards the end of the first half at Villa Park before coming off at half-time. Reports have suggested that the United captain could be out for at least a month with a “suspected soft-tissue injury”.
“I think it’s a soft-tissue injury so it’s going to be a while,” Amorim said post-match. “He is a guy who is always fit so we hope he can recover well. We will see.
“It’s an injury and sometimes it’s bad luck or something else at the same time. You can never control these things. We will need to find solutions and we cannot use anything as an excuse. We need to prepare all the guys that we have for the next game,
“No one is going to remember these problems, so let’s cope with that. It will make us stronger.” Fernandes’ injury comes just days before the January transfer window opens, and calls for a new midfielder to come in as a priority at Old Trafford will have gathered pace.
However, Amorim has claimed the club must not make any mistakes in the next transfer window. “We need to deal with that. What we cannot do is reach January and try to do everything with urgency and make mistakes again and be left saying ‘here we go again’,” he said,
“I am not going to go to Jason [Wilcox] and say we need a lot of players. If we have to suffer, the club comes first. Of course, we are in the moment that we need points, but we are going to continue with our plan. In this moment, you may feel we are going to struggle, but we will see.”
It remains to be seen how United’s transfer plans will be affected by Fernandes’ injury. Uncertainty around Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro means a new midfielder was already at the top of their list, but the recent news makes matters more pressing.
Fortunately, United have the opportunity to replace Fernandes in the short term and address their midfield issues early in the transfer window. Ruben Neves is a name that has been consistently mentioned as a potential target for United, dating back to his time at Wolves.
Ruben Neves of Al Hilal has been linked with Manchester United(Image: MartÃn Fonseca/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
Now at Al-Hilal, the 28-year-old is being linked with a move back to the Premier League after rejecting a new deal in Saudi Arabia. The Times has reported that Al-Hilal are resigned to losing him on a free transfer in the summer and are now open to selling him in January in an attempt to recoup some of the £47million they paid for him in 2023.
A figure of £18m has been touted, but it’s believed that interested clubs could land the Portugal international for well below that figure, meaning United could land a bargain deal for the start of 2026. During his time at Wolves, Neves established himself as a proven Premier League midfielder, becoming known for his outrageous long-range goals.
United’s interest in players like Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba, who will cost close to £100m, means that cheaper options will have to be considered this window. Neves, at a possible price as low as £10m, could be the perfect first January arrival.
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