PFA arrange meeting with Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes is continuing to hold his role as the club’s captain through the current campaign after having topped both scoring and assists charts for the club with 19 goals and 19 assists, raising speculation over a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in the summer.

The Portugal international rejected a £200 million contract to move to Al-Hilal in favour of remaining at Old Trafford at the heart of Ruben Amorim’s rebuild project, showing the passion he has for leading the club.

As captain, he is the voice on the pitch, leading the rest of his squad, and this coming month, he’ll be the voice for his teammates with the PFA as well.

The Times has reported that across the league, a new financial framework is heading to a vote, and club captains are being consulted before decisions are locked. The Professional Footballers’ Association has scheduled a meeting with all 20 captains next week, putting Fernandes in the room on Manchester United’s behalf.

At the heart of the discussion is the proposed “anchoring” rule. In simple terms, it would place a hard upper limit on each club’s total football costs by tying them to the central income received by the team finishing 20th in the Premier League, multiplied by a fixed number.

The figure most discussed is five times the bottom club’s TV revenue and prize money earned. Using last season’s numbers as a guide, that would imply a ceiling in the region of £550 million for wages, amortisation and related squad costs like agent fees.

The proposal sits alongside wider “squad cost ratio” controls that limit spending as a share of revenue. Together, they would change how quickly a club can scale salaries and contract commitments during a rebuild.

As expected, the clubs are split. Some argue anchoring protects competitive balance and long-term sustainability, while others believe hard-capping to the bottom club risks dulling English sides in Europe compared with leagues without the same restriction.

From the players’ side, the PFA has made clear it will challenge a hard cap if it is pushed through without the right consultation and safeguards, hence why the union is meeting captains now to ensure the dressing rooms across the league are heard ahead of the vote.

For Manchester United, Fernandes’ involvement is straightforward. He is the senior voice, he carries the dressing room view, and any decision here feeds directly into how quickly Ruben Amorim can grow or reshape the wage bill over the coming seasons.