Manchester United are in serious debt to Bruno Fernandes. And club bosses have to add to it with a new contract offer that reflects his importance to the team going forward.
It is difficult to put a price on the contribution Fernandes has made to United in recent seasons. In the dark times, he dragged them through when no one else appeared capable or willing. Now that the good times have threatened to emerge again, Fernandes is revelling in returning to the level his talents deserve. The midfielder's actions on the pitch are there for all to see.
If United want to succeed in the Champions League next season, as well as launch a title challenge, Fernandes will be crucial. But what is just as refreshing about the Portuguese superstar is his attitude to what is important to him as a footballer.
When clubs from the Saudi Pro League came calling last summer, United took the unusual decision of making it clear they would not stop him leaving if he wanted to. Fast forward almost 12 months, and this approach now appears borderline criminal. Given what Fernandes has done to help United's recent renaissance, it must be a sobering thought for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co that their captain might not have even been at Old Trafford this season.
But throw in the fact Fernandes is more focused on prizes than his personal fortune, and his club need to tie him down to a new deal that will keep him where he is until he is past his prime. Fernandes said: "Obviously the Saudi situation, with the money... there was a lot. But the good thing I have in my family is that my wife is pretty down to earth like me. We are very aware that we don't want to be the richest person in the world. We just want to be the ones that have achieved the dreams they had, and live a good life with their kids and trying to be as successful as possible."
The words of my wife were: "Have you achieved your dreams? Have you achieved everything you wanted?" And that small thing she said made me understand that she is on the same page as me. Let us keep trying and see where this takes me.
Fernandes will enter the final 12 months of his current deal in June. He has still not decided what he will do next. But United's owners need to make that decision for him. Of all the stupid decisions United have made in recent times, allowing Fernandes to leave Old Trafford would be the most ridiculous one of the lot.
Ratcliffe might be obsessed with driving down the club's wage bill. But certain footballers are worth making an exception for. And if he cannot realise Fernandes is one of these, then perhaps owning a football club is not for him.
