Man Utd star declared ‘top four’ player in the world as record-breaking deal prepped | OneFootball

Vitinha rates a Manchester United ace as being among the four best players in the world in his position, and reports claim a blockbuster new deal is coming.

Having placed third in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting after guiding PSG to a monumental quadruple, Vitinha is more than qualified to pick out the best players in the world.

And during a recent interview conducted in the Portuguese media, Vitinha was asked for his thoughts on who he believes are the best midfielders in the game right now.

He opted for Barcelona’s Pedri in top spot, and insisted he too should make the top four. But included in that quartet was a player Man Utd fans will love to see getting some much deserved recognition – Bruno Fernandes.

“I’d put Pedri in first place,” said Vitinha (as quoted by Mundo Deportivo). “He’s magical; it’s spectacular to watch him play. When you play against him, you understand him even better.

“Then, in the ‘top three’, it’s a bit difficult for me. It’s hard to choose just two.

“I’d put Joao Neves and Bruno Fernandes. They’d both be there with Pedri and me. So I don’t have a ‘top three’, I have a ‘top four’ instead.”

Fernandes is at the heart of everything Man Utd do well, though he’s also a long-standing transfer target for the Saudi Pro League.

The remarkable decline of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool this season shows how risky it is giving gigantic contract extensions to ageing superstars. The Reds handed Salah a two-year extension worth £400,000-a-week less than a year ago.

Nevertheless, the latest from The Mirror states Man Utd are prepared to push the boat out to secure Fernandes’ future by making him the club’s highest earner, and by some distance too.

Casemiro currently holds top spot on £350,000-a-week. United hope Fernandes will put pen to paper for £400,000-a-week.

The report stated Man Utd have ‘made its feelings clear to the Portuguese international – with United willing to hand Fernandes a new and improved contract worth up to £400,000-a-week.’

The strong suggestion in the piece is Fernandes is happy at Old Trafford and with the club’s fortunes improving on the pitch, he’ll be more than willing to re-sign.