Man Utd may already have Bruno Fernandes' successor in place despite bumper contract

Manchester United may have tied down Bruno Fernandes to a new four-year contract, but the Red Devils may take a hint from the midfielder about who his successor should be.

Fernandes has signed on until 2026, with the option of an extra year, and will be 31 by the time that deal ends. He has been United's standout player since he arrived at Old Trafford in January 2020, despite enduring an underwhelming season this term.

Those performances convinced the Premier League side that he is the linchpin of their team for the immediate future. But the end of his new contract will also coincide with the time that many top players begin to suffer a downturn in performances.

As a result, they will need to begin testing which academy players will be able to make the grade when that time does come. Fernandes has already given United the name of one of the players who appears to be the frontrunner to fill that role.

The 27-year-old named youngster James Garner as the academy player he was most excited to play alongside during a Q&A on Twitter on Friday. Garner is currently on loan at Nottingham Forest and has become a regular under Steve Cooper.

Cooper has deployed a variety of formations since he replaced Chris Hughton, with Garner usually serving as a holding midfielder. He has scored two goals and notched four assists when playing in that deeper role, impressing as Forest have risen into play-off contention.

But he has also shown that he could be the long-term successor to Fernandes, with a handful of appearances in attacking midfielder. When being selected in a more advanced position, he has a better record in front of goal, scoring once and notching two assists in four appearances in attacking midfield.

That will certainly be