“They wanted to sign him and replace Bruno Fernandes, until Bruno accepted a new deal. They might be regretting their decisions agter Bruno Fernandes poor performances this season. He really wanted to come to Manchester United but was left heartbroken”-Fabrizio Romano reveals the blockbuster signing Man Utd missed out on during the summer transfer window as they plan to replace Bruno Fernandes.

Manchester United made five signings over the summer, but transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that the club missed out on an attacking player after a failed approach during the transfer window.

United’s summer business strengthened several key areas as manager Erik ten Hag aims to build on last season’s FA Cup victory and secure a return to the Champions League.

The club brought in Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna for £36.5 million and won the race against Real Madrid to sign French defender Leny Yoro from Lille in a deal worth £52 million. Additionally, United struck a double deal with Bayern Munich, securing defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui for a combined fee of around £50 million. The transfer window concluded with the signing of Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte from PSG on deadline day for an initial £42 million.

After four games, United sit 10th in the Premier League and recently recorded a 3-0 away victory against Southampton. They followed that up with their biggest win under Ten Hag, a 7-0 triumph over League One side Barnsley in the League Cup, a match that saw the opposing manager express frustration with his players.

United will face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, aiming to secure consecutive Premier League wins.

However, United were not able to land all their targets, as their pursuit of Xavi Simons demonstrated. United were keen to sign Simons, a Netherlands international who played at Euro 2024 and scored against England in a 2-1 defeat. Simons, who originally joined PSG from Barcelona in 2022, spent the 2022/23 season on loan at PSV Eindhoven before moving back to Paris. He was loaned to RB Leipzig last season and returned to the Bundesliga side again this summer.

Romano reports that United made inquiries about Simons’ availability before the Euros, but the player preferred a return to Germany, with a potential move to England on the cards in the summer of 2025. While United missed out on Simons this summer, the door remains open for a future move to Old Trafford.