Bruno Fernandes’ decision to reject Manchester United’s latest contract offer could be a blessing in disguise for the Old Trafford side, with the Portugal international in a period of decline in his career.

While it’s easy to criticise Bruno for his output this season – he has directly contributed to a goal in just two of United’s 10 Premier League matches – these statistics only scratch the surface of the 32-year-old’s problems.

The Portuguese may be the reigning PFA Player of the Year, but after watching the demise of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool after picking up the same award a year previous, the Red Devils already have their warning of how quickly things can fall apart for players the wrong side of 30.

Bruno is only Man Utd’s fifth-best player – and he’s getting worse

Bruno Fernandes is in a period of “significant decline”, according to data analytics firm SciSports, which gives players a SciSkill value based on hundreds of in-game data points.

His level hit a peak around May but his rating has been dropping back ever since.

SciSports now rates him as Man Utd’s fifth-best player behind Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Marcus Rashford and Benjamin Sesko.

By the end of the season, it’s conceivable that his status will have diminished even further: Kobbie Mainoo, Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo are all within striking distance of him.

It’s important to emphasise that in no way is this a claim that Bruno is ‘past it’, but it does question whether he is in a position to call the shots within the club.

This relates not only to his new contract, but also the manner in which he interacts with the hierarchy at Old Trafford, as illustrated when he publicly called out Michael Carrick following the Champions League loss to Como.

United have to decide if this is the type of leadership and culture that they are happy with in the dressing room.

Pochettino planning with Bruno – but he should be careful

For the moment, Man Utd are still confident of Bruno signing a new deal, with iNews reporting that sources inside the club remain confident of a deal, with the playmaker’s stance simply “part of the negotiation process”.

Mauricio Pochettino, meanwhile, is ready to make Fernandes central to his plans.

In order for Bruno to justify this status, however, he will have to arrest his current decline. It’s something that Salah was unable to do at Liverpool, but already seems fundamental to the immediate impact of the Argentine in Manchester.

But United might be wise simply to trigger Bruno’s one-year option and then assess in the summer if keeping him beyond the end of the season is the right thing for them to do.

Right now, Fernandes’ career is heading in the wrong direction and a new contract meeting Bruno’s demands might simply consign him to a slow demise at Old Trafford.