Manchester United aims to retain Bruno Fernandes without increasing his salary! Reducing his burden is key to competing for titles, with one statistic far inferior to Beckham's era.

Manchester United will not change its stance on not renewing Casemiro's contract despite his recent scoring, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe is determined to retain captain Bruno Fernandes by various means, certainly not "unconditionally." The club does not intend to renew B费's contract; his weekly wage is £300,000, valid until 2027, plus a one-year optional extension.

Ratcliffe's INEOS management team insists on not renewing Casemiro's contract, which expires at the end of this season and includes a one-year extension option that will not be activated. Ending cooperation with Casemiro is a mutual decision, viewed by the club as part of squad restructuring. Despite Casemiro's recent strong performances, the board will not alter its original decision.

The club's objective is to find midfielders who have performed well in the Premier League as replacements. The list includes: Carlos Baleba, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Sandro Tonali, Alex Scott, among others.

Manchester United prefers players who have already proven themselves in the Premier League and can integrate quickly, potentially signing two such players—one expensive and one affordable. For instance, they might acquire Baleba or Tonali as starters, then purchase a rotational player like Scott.

Casemiro is 34 years old, and Ratcliffe believes he cannot be a core player for the future. His current excellent performances are limited to one game per week, and his high salary makes a renewal financially unwise long-term. It's unpredictable when an aging veteran might decline and how rapidly his form could drop.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes' contract contains a special clause allowing non-Premier League clubs to sign him for a fixed amount. The release clause is €66 million, approximately £57 million. This forces United to consider how to exert every effort to keep him.

A contract extension is not under consideration; B费's current deal was granted after Ratcliffe's acquisition, and he had already planned it to be the team's highest salary. Renewing B费's £300,000-per-week contract could push it to £400,000 after a raise, which Ratcliffe is unlikely to consider.

Therefore, Manchester United plans to persuade B费 to continue his six-year career with the Red Devils from an emotional and future-oriented perspective. This includes building a team capable of competing for the Premier League title and providing better teammates to lessen the burden on the Portuguese midfield stalwart, who is nearing 32 years old.

Bruno Fernandes recently broke Beckham's 26-year-old Manchester United record for assists in a single Premier League season, now having 16 league assists. With eight matches remaining, he could challenge Henry and De Bruyne's record of 20 assists. B费 stated: "Breaking the assist record? I'm happier and prouder that I've supported my teammates. Making others happy is very special; it's a great achievement for me, but the main success is finishing top of the table at season's end."

Beckham might not have achieved more assists not because he lacked the ability, but because it wasn't necessary. Looking at Manchester United's 1999/2000 season statistics: besides Beckham's 15 assists, Ryan Giggs on the opposite wing had 13, Paul Scholes in midfield contributed 7, and even "super subs" Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Teddy Sheringham each had 7 and 6 assists!

On Manchester United's assist list this season, after Bruno Fernandes' 16 assists, the second-highest tied contributors are Mbeumo and Diogo Dalot, each with only 3 assists. In the 99/00 season, they would have ranked tied 7th! The "Black and White duo" Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole each had 4 assists, midfielder Nicky Butt and right-back Gary Neville assisted 3 times.

Bruno Fernandes' assist numbers are indeed commendable, but relying solely on him, even with remarkable statistics, is insufficient to compete for titles. In some crucial matches, if the captain is neutralized, United struggles to find effective attacking solutions. Conversely, teams with more players contributing assists are harder for opponents to defend against.