Bruno Fernandes will sign new contract if Paul Pogba stays

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes is ready to sign a new contract with the club, but only if they are able to tie down Paul Pogba to another new deal.

Fernandes is one of the lowest earners in the first team, with a contract worth around £100,000 a week, and United have reportedly started talks with an offer to double the 26-year-old Portuguese international’s salary.

It was also suggested that while Fernandes would be happy to stay, he first wanted assurances that United would act seriously in the summer transfer market with both Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland potentially up for grabs as Borussia Dortmund need to sell at least one of the pair in order to raise funds due to the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite Pogba stinking out Old Trafford for most of his career, Fernandes believes his presence is important to the club, reports the Sun. To be fair to Fernandes, Pogba’s form has been markedly better in recent months and he has chipped in with important performances and decisive goals.

The 28-year-old Frenchman has a year left to run on his current deal as the club extended his stay by activating an extension clause, but if he will not sign a new deal then United would prefer to sell him this summer rather than lose him for nothing later down the line.

Other stories suggest that Pogba is looking for around £500,000-a-week wages in order to stay with United, and it may be that neither Real Madrid nor Juventus - his two preferred destinations - will be able to afford him any time soon. The pragmatic option may be to add a few more years to his deal before jumping ship in a couple of years when he still has time left in what should be his prime.