Pochettino’s plan for Bruno Fernandes – with Man Utd confident of new deal

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Manchester United hope Pochettino’s arrival and opinion of Fernandes will persuade the 32-year-old to stay beyond his current deal ...

Manchester United are confident of agreeing a new contract with Bruno Fernandes, The i Paper understands.

And Mauricio Pochettino, who starts work as the new United head coach next week, already has a plan for the club captain despite the Portuguese turning down a second contract offer this week.

There is no panic within the club over his latest snub. Turning down early offers are all “part of the negotiation process”, a United source insisted, claiming “we will get there” in the coming months.

Since the moment Fernandes walked in the door six-and-a-half years ago, the Portuguese magnifico’s dream move has not been anything like they said it would be in the brochure.

It is not churlish to suggest Fernandes is the only signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson wilderness years who can look themselves in the mirror and say, with any authority, that they have lived up to expectations.

But after falling out with the now-departed Michael Carrick and witnessing yet another year of failure at Old Trafford, those closest to Fernandes believe exit options are being considered.

The i Paper has been told, however, that Pochettino will look to lean on Fernandes in a youthful United setup.

Questions have been raised as to where Fernandes fits into a Pochettino team that puts emphasis on the collective, rather than the individual. Anything creative about United in the past few years has almost always come via the boot of last season’s record assist maker.

A source who has worked with the Argentine at several clubs insisted, however, that Pochettino will “relish” having someone like Fernandes to guide his younger players, and will build his unit around the skipper, rather than remove the club’s most creative option from the team.

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