Bruno Fernandes has been playing through pain
Bruno Fernandes has been carrying a knock for weeks. United's captain has been playing "through the pain barrier" recently, and the club is now in direct contact with Portugal about him (2).
Portugal boss Jorge Jesus did not hide it: "While in the game against Wales we came into it with practically all the players who were physically available, we came out of the Wales game with a..." (2). The concern is long-term. Pushing your talisman through pain rarely stays a short-term problem.
Your team sits 12th, five points from five games, with Tottenham at home on Saturday, October 10 (2).
Get the next Manchester United FC brief by email
This article went out to subscribers as a brief. Get the next one straight to your inbox, free.
Free · No spam · Unsubscribe anytime
United want Fermin Lopez, Barcelona will not talk
United are ready to spend over €100m on Barcelona's Fermin Lopez, 23, as a long-term successor to Bruno Fernandes (3). Barcelona have no interest in negotiating (3). Chelsea are watching too (3).
Rio Ferdinand on JJ Gabriel: do not get run over
JJ Gabriel wants his registration revoked. He turns 16 in two weeks, and Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are circling while agent Ali Barat facilitates talks (9).
Rio Ferdinand's view: "Samtidigt kan inte Manchester United låta sig köras över av en 15-åring, oavsett hur bra han är" (12). Translation: United cannot let themselves be run over by a 15-year-old, no matter how good he is. Ferdinand also laid out what United must not do as the decision date nears (11).
Yoro's future is up in the air
Leny Yoro is struggling for minutes under Michael Carrick, and his long-term future at the club is uncertain (4). United are monitoring Jarrad Branthwaite, Tiago Gabriel and Finn Jeltsch for 2027 (4).
The centre-back hunt, and what Stuttgart want
Stuttgart have set their asking price for Finn Jeltsch, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Liverpool all interested (1). United's backline is still a problem, two summers after big money went on Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro (1).
Arsenal and United also have eyes on Porto defender Alberto Costa (10).
Schade, Raum and the rest of the market
United are considering a January move for Brentford winger Kevin Schade, valued at around €35m (5). They could also rival Juventus for RB Leipzig left-back David Raum, who is available on a free next year (8), which would help a left-back crisis (8).
Bournemouth's Alex Scott is on United's radar, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea also tracking him and an €80–90m price tag (6). United and Arsenal are also reported to be tracking a £60m-rated European prospect (7).
One more: United are named as a club who could hijack a £70m winger who has already said yes to Liverpool (13).
Fan reactions
The mood on r/reddevils is split between the academy saga and pure nostalgia. One thread flags Senne Lammens and Youri Tielemans starting for Belgium with Leny Yoro benched for France, another digs into United's all-time top 25 players, and a third is a search for an old Andrei Kanchelskis photo. Old-school comfort food while the transfer noise rumbles on.
https://www.reddit.com/r/reddevils/comments/1wstbix/request_that_one_pic_of_andrei_kanchelskis_where