Ruben Amorim is watching history repeat itself at Manchester United less than a year after he was sacked, and the AC Milan boss could benefit from his former club's latest crisis

AC Milan boss Ruben Amorim is reportedly eyeing a reunion with Bruno Fernandes amid his uncertain future at Manchester United. Fernandes, 32, has entered the final year of his contract and was benched by Michael Carrick against Bournemouth on Sunday after publicly criticising the United manager's tactics.

The Portugal international didn't play a single minute in their limp 3-0 loss which has left Carrick's job hanging by a thread. Talks between Fernandes and the United hierarchy over a new deal have reportedly stalled, and Milan are looking to take advantage.

Italian outlet Calciomercato claim that Amorim's club are keeping tabs on the midfielder's situation and are aware of a €65million (£54.4m) release clause for foreign clubs which exists in in his current contract. Fernandes' relationship with United is said to have broken down and he could push to leave in the January transfer window.

Milan may prefer to wait until June 2027 and sign Fernandes on a free, although United could avoid losing him for nothing by triggering their option to extend his existing deal by 12 months. It's also stated that the former Sporting Lisbon star's wages could be an issue, given that he takes home €10.2m (£8.5m) per year.

Make sure you don't miss the best Man Utd coverage by making the Daily Mirror one of your Google preferred sources.

Fernandes worked closely with Amorim during the Portuguese's time at Old Trafford which came to an end earlier this year. In the summer of 2025, Fernandes rejected a big-money move to Saudi Arabia in favour of continuing to work with Amorim, who's a big admirer of his compatriot's ability and leadership qualities.

"He's a leader," the former United boss hailed. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That's why he's the captain.

"He has bad things sometimes, the way he moves his arms (on the pitch), but has a lot of good things too. So there are a lot of things that you don't see but that he does. He's a great leader all the time."

Carrick's relationship with Fernandes has become strained after the 32-year-old suggested that his manager got his tactics wrong during last week's 4-1 loss away to Como in the Champions League. Before facing Bournemouth, Carrick refused to rule out stripping Fernandes of the captaincy.

Harry Maguire wore the armband at Old Trafford, as Carrick described dropping Fernandes as a 'football decision'.