Bruno Fernandes struck twice as Manchester United put one foot in the Europa League final with a clinical away performance to beat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Thursday.

The 30-year-old Portuguese star has been linked in recent days with a £90 million (107.4 million euros) switch to Spanish giants Real.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said it is not the players' fault for the contracts signed off by the club as he hit back at claims by co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that some are "overpaid".

Manchester United's dismal season hit a new low as the FA Cup holders crashed out after a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat against Fulham in the fifth round on Sunday.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim described his side as "soft" despite fighting back from 2-0 down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday.

Fernandes has higher ambitions as he targets winning the Europa League in Bilbao come May.

Manchester United's miserable season suffered another Boxing Day blow as captain Bruno Fernandes was sent-off in a 2-0 defeat at lowly Wolves.

"I think there's still a lot to come from him because we really believe in his qualities, we know what he's capable of doing," United captain Fernandes told Sky Sports.

Ten Hag won two trophies in his two full seasons in charge, but departed with United 14th in the Premier League and without a win in their opening three Europa League games of the campaign.

Moises Caicedo's blistering second-half strike cancelled out a penalty from Bruno Fernandes as Chelsea salvaged a 1-1 draw with Manchester United on Sunday, spoiling United's celebrations in their first Premier League game since the sacking of manager Eric ten Hag.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is determined to rediscover his goal-scoring touch and said he takes responsibility for struggling to find the back of the net.

Bruno Fernandes was given his marching orders for a high boot with nine minutes remaining and United seemed to be heading to a second defeat in a week after losing their skipper to another red card.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has signed a new contract that will keep him at the club until June 2027, with the option to extend for another year, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

Fernandes told reporters that the intense demands of playing at a club like United meant winning was the only thing that mattered.

Ten Hag's side twice trailed to the Premier League's bottom club at Old Trafford before Fernandes came to his beleaguered manager's aid in the second half.

Erik ten Hag admitted Manchester United "got away with it" after his team won an FA Cup semi-final penalty shootout against Coventry on Sunday following an astonishing collapse during the match.

Bruno Fernandes admitted Manchester United must "do so much better" after they squandered a three-goal lead in their FA Cup semi-final against Coventry on Sunday before winning the penalty shootout.

Mohamed Salah scored a late equaliser from a penalty kick as Liverpool escaped Old Trafford with a single point in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United to climb to even on points with Premier League leaders Arsenal.

Everton paid for conceding two first-half penalties at Old Trafford as Manchester United bounced back to winning ways to keep their Champions League hopes for next season alive with a 2-0 victory on Saturday.

Only twice in the Premier League era have United lost more than 11 matches in a season -- 12 in 2013/14 and 2021/22.