Bruno Fernandes future: Man United head coach Michael Carrick issues update on Red Devils star amid exit speculation

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has said that the club are determined to keep hold of captain Bruno Fernandes beyond the end of this summer's transfer window.

Fernandes has had another outstanding campaign for the Red Devils, and he came up with two more assists in the team's 3-1 success over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday.

The Portugal international is now on seven goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances this season, with 16 of those assists coming in the Premier League.

Fernandes set up Casemiro and Matheus Cunha to score against Villa, which saw him create history for Man United, becoming the player with the most assists in a single season for the club.

The 31-year-old has moved past David Beckham's record, and he is now chasing the all-time Premier League record, with Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and ex-Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne jointly in first spot with 20 each.

Fernandes broke Beckham's Man United assist record against Aston Villa

Fernandes' future is currently the subject of much speculation, though, with the attacker believed to be seriously considering a summer exit.

The playmaker famously turned down a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia last summer, and there is expected to be more interest from the Saudi Pro League in the upcoming market, while a number of major European clubs are said to be monitoring the situation.

Carrick's own future is also unclear, but the head coach has confirmed that the club are working towards keeping hold of Fernnades.

"Yeah, in terms of the club and moving forward, it’s difficult for me to get involved in too much of that. Bruno is definitely not someone we’d want to lose, I can say that. But the summer or beyond that, it’s difficult for me to go too far with that. Certainly, he’s important for us and he’s not one we would want to lose," Carrick told reporters after the win over Villa.

"He’s important for us, and he’s playing in positions now where we need to find him, and we need to supply him as much as we can, in order for him to make the difference.

Fernandes will consider Man United exit this summer

"But it’s not just about Bruno, I understand he’s had some really important moments recently, and in the long time he’s been here, but I think it’s a team and the importance of sharing that responsibility, so it’s not always on one player, I think it’s really important.

"And then it does make everyone else’s job that little bit easier, so he’s not taking everything on himself, which he shouldn’t and he doesn’t really for us.

"Bruno has done it for a long period of time now in the big moments, making the difference, whether he’s scoring or creating, he’s normally around it. Yeah, two very different goals obviously today.

"He’s got a really understanding with Case (Casemiro) and working with Jonny [Evans] on set-plays and different things and spaces and whatnot. There’s a bit you can coach and a little bit of the players and the understanding with the players, they’ve got a great connection there with that and they’ve done it a few times before, so that was good.

"And then the passing around it and getting in positions where you can play that final pass, it was one we’ve seen before, and then he plays Ben (Benjamin Sesko) in after that as well. There’s not a lot else to say that I’ve sat here and said before about Bruno, but I thought he was really good and I thought it was a good team performance as well."

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano recently claimed that Fernandes, who has a contract at Old Trafford until June 2027, would likely stay at Old Trafford this summer if the club secured a return to the Champions League for 2026-27.

Carrick's team are third in the Premier League table, six points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea.