When Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe frankly outlined the club's financial position earlier this month he invited the vultures to circle around Old Trafford. United must sell players this summer to fund Ruben Amorim's rebuild and the likes of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho have already been linked with moves away from the club. Given Ratcliffe's quite public declaration about United's financial situation, clubs would have been put on red alert over the potential availability of some of United's star players. So it was little surprise to see a report in the Daily Star suggesting that Real Madrid are lining up a £90million move for United captain Bruno Fernandes. While the veracity of the report is up for debate, it claims Los Blancos have been represented at every one of United's recent games, with Fernandes the subject of their scouting missions. With Luka Modric now 39, the Spanish giants are said to be lining up Fernandes as the Croatian international's long term successor in midfield. United will not want to sell and, put simply, they cannot afford to lose a player of Fernandes' importance. Despite Roy Keane's recent criticism, Fernandes is United's only genuine world class player and he has led the team with his performances under Amorim. United may be 13th in the Premier League but they would be in a much more dire position without Fernandes' contributions. Amorim's side have taken some positive strides in recent weeks and could end the season as Europa League winners. Fernandes has been paramount in that improvement. Fernandes has spoken of his love of playing for United and has made no noises about looking to fulfil his ambitions elsewhere. But the lure of Real Madrid is very real and if their interest is genuine, United need to only look at their rivals Liverpool as Trent Alexander-Arnold looks more and more likely to swap Merseyside for the Spanish capital, to realise just how strong that lure really is. It is an issue Ineos have encouraged and the reality is that United will assess offers that come their way this summer as they attempt to navigate their financial issues. But they simply cannot countenance sanctioning Fernandes' sale and must do everything to convince the 30-year-old his future remains best served at Old Trafford. Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.