Man Utd Denied Bruno Fernandes Chance To Play With Dream Midfield Partner

Manchester United deprived their captain and star player Bruno Fernandes of the chance to play with his dream midfield partner.

Fernandes delivered another talismanic performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Monday night, as United ran out 4-1 winners.

The 31-year-old scored twice and registered an assist, taking his tally to 10 goal contributions for the season - with only Erling Haaland and Igor Thiago registering more.

Fernandes' continued creativity and goalscoring are even more impressive given the new midfield role he has taken on under Amorim.

Traditionally a number ten, Fernandes is now operating as the more advanced player in a two-man midfield alongside Casemiro.

The Brazilian joined United for £70 million from Real Madrid in 2022 and was a key player during his debut season at Old Trafford.

After a mixed couple of campaigns, Casemiro has re-established himself in Amorim's midfield this season.

Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring for Man Utd (Image: Getty)

However, Casemiro's arrival in 2022 limited James Garner's playing opportunities, ultimately leading to his £15 million transfer to Everton.

Earlier that year, during a question and answer session on Twitter (now X), Fernandes revealed that Garner was the academy player he was most looking forward to playing with.

At that time, the midfielder was on loan at Nottingham Forest, where he played a crucial role in their promotion back to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years.

Garner left Manchester United having made just seven senior appearances, six of which came in the 2019/20 campaign.

Since moving to Everton, he has established himself as a dependable and versatile player.

James Garner playing for Everton (Image: Getty)

Garner has played 101 games for the Toffees, featuring at left-back, right-back, defensive-midfield, right-midfield and left-midfield.

United and Fernandes were reminded of his quality at Old Trafford last month, when Everton claimed a 1-0 win.

Despite being reduced to 10-men after just 13 minutes, the Toffees showed great resilience to secure a rare victory at Old Trafford.

However, Garner's long-term future at the Hill Dickinson remains uncertain, with his contract set to expire in the summer.

El Bobble reported Everton have officially opened talks with the midfielder about a new and improved contract.

Although they are yet to reach an agreement, discussions are ongoing and there is confidence that Garner will commit his future to the club.

If they have not reached an agreement by January, he will be free to discuss a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.

At present, he appears more likely to remain in England, with Aston Villa and Man United both reportedly interested should talks with Everton break down.