Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese midfielder, has been formally appointed as the new captain of Manchester United, taking over from Harry Maguire, who has been relieved of his captaincy duties by manager Erik ten Hag.
Fernandes, who has been a key player for the club with an impressive record of 64 goals and 54 assists in 185 games, has previously captained the team in Maguire’s absence due to his limited playing time last season.
United confirmed the decision in a statement, expressing confidence in Fernandes’ leadership and his ability to uphold the highest standards within the squad.
Fernandes faced criticism for his performance in the heavy 7-0 defeat against Liverpool in March, when his petulance saw him apparently even stop running at certain points in the game. United have still granted him the role of skipper. It remains to be seen if he can live up to the role.
United’s preseason preparations are already underway, with a 1-0 victory against Lyon.
The team is now set to embark on a tour of the United States, where they will compete in friendly matches against Arsenal, Wrexham, Real Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund before the start of the new season.
After finally securing Champions League qualification in the previous campaign, Manchester United are eager to make a strong start in the upcoming season and Fernandes will play a pivotal role in leading the team towards success.
The change in captaincy reflects the club’s determination to regroup and strive for better results under Fernandes’ guidance.
United have already signed Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55 million this summer and have now also confirmed the arrival of goalkeeper Andre Onana from Internazionale in a £47.2m deal.
The Cameroon international ‘keeper has been given a lucrative five-year deal at Old Trafford and links up again with manager Ten Hag, who he played 214 games under at Ajax from 2016 to 2022.
Ten Hag has also seen his plans boosted by the extension of forward Marcus Rashford’s contract at the club. Rashford has signed a new deal to keep him at United until 2028.
One of the club’s next priorities is to find a new striker to play alongside Rashford in attack this season.
United fans have said a sad farewell already this summer to two big names, as goalkeeper David de Gea and defender and Phil Jones have moved on from the club.
