Bruno Fernandes has praised one young Manchester United talent for his training performances, while Ruben Amorim is set to let three senior players leave in a bid to trim his squad
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was on hand to offer praise and advice to one of the club’s young talents after an impressive showing in training. It comes amid news that Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim has made plans to trim his squad further by placing three players on the transfer list.
Fernandes impressed with his display in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Chelsea, with the skipper marking two big milestones over the course of the match, scoring his 100th United goal in his 200th Premier League appearance.
His performance came after a difficult few weeks for the Portugal international, who has struggled to find his best form after being moved into a deeper role by Amorim this season. However, Fernandes is still highly regarded as a leader by those at the club and beyond, and he showed his class in training this week with an interaction with academy product Sam Mather.
It comes as three of Fernandes’ team-mates were identified as likely departures in 2026, with Amorim prepared to let the trio go as he cuts down the bloated squad he inherited from previous United head coach Erik ten Hag.
Fernandes praises youth talent
After his impressive display against Chelsea, Fernandes looked full of energy in training again this week, with an official report on the United website saying the Portuguese star displayed “an astonishing amount of precision, and sometimes cheek, when rifling opportunities into the net on a regular basis”.
However, one moment in training saw the midfielder celebrate the talents of another player, with Mather impressing the first team skipper with a fine effort during a shooting drill.
According to the same report, the 21-year-old “connected sweetly” with the ball to “thunder one shot low into the bottom corner of the net” during training at Carrington.
The goal was enough to see the academy product earn “personal praise” from Fernandes, with the former Sporting CP star impressed with what he was watching.
Salford-born Mather, who plays on the wing, has featured in United’s Premier League 2 side, but was keen on a move away from the club over the summer, with his heart set on playing senior football. He was reportedly in talks with Turkish side Kayserispor over a deadline day move, but that failed to materialise.
Trio set for exit
United boss Amorim is also set to show three senior players the exit door in 2026, and the trio will walk away for nothing.
After selling the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony on permanent deals over the summer and letting others, including Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford and Andre Onana, leave on loan, more big names are set to depart to free up funds to help improve the Red Devils’ midfield.
With club bosses keen to slash the wage bill, Casemiro is set to lead the departure list when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. Having been signed for £70 million from Real Madrid in 2022, he has been a regular under both Ten Hag and Amorim but now looks set to leave on a free.
Jadon Sancho is another who will become a free agent next July, having moved to Aston Villa on loan for the 2025/26 campaign. Signed for £73 million three years ago, he is also set to walk away for nothing with United unlikely to trigger the option to extend his contract by a further year.
Also seemingly heading for the exit door is left-back Tyrell Malacia, who has endured a torrid time with injuries since moving to Old Trafford for £13m in 2022. After a summer move to Turkey fell through, he looks set to leave on a free as well.
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