Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, has become the latest Premier League footballer to be targeted by burglars after three masked men reportedly broke into his £4m mansion in Cheshire, England, while he was playing in Italy.
The incident occurred at about 8.30pm on Wednesday, October 21, when the Portuguese midfielder was away with Manchester United for their Champions League fixture against Como.
The intruders reportedly forced their way into the six-bedroom property in Nether Alderley and escaped with several valuables, including designer jewellery.
According to reports, Fernandes’ family were not at home when the burglary took place.
The property is located in Cheshire’s affluent Golden Triangle, an area popular among professional footballers.
The incident came on the same night Fernandes played for 67 minutes in Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat to Como before being replaced by Joshua Zirkzee by manager Michael Carrick.
Neighbours reportedly alerted the police after spotting three unidentified men in the rear garden of a nearby property.
Officers arrived about 10 minutes later but found no trace of the suspects.
Confirming the incident, a Cheshire Police spokesperson stated, “At around 8.30pm on Wednesday 21 October, police were called to reports of suspicious activity at an address in the Alderley Park area of Nether Alderley.
“The caller reported three unknown men in the rear garden of a neighbouring property. Officers attended the scene and on arrival there was no trace of the suspects.
However, officers discovered that there had been a burglary at the address and a number of items had been stolen.”
Detectives have launched an investigation into the burglary and appealed to residents who may have witnessed suspicious activity to assist with their enquiries.
Detective Inspector David Jarvis said, “This investigation is in its early stages at this time, and we’re committed to doing all we can to trace the people responsible. As part of our enquiries, we’re keen to hear from anyone who was in the local area at the time and believes they may have witnessed anything suspicious.”
The burglary adds to a series of incidents involving footballers in north-west England.
Fernandes’ Portugal teammate and Manchester City defender Ruben Dias was also a victim of a burglary at his Alderley Edge home in January.
Former City players Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez have similarly experienced burglaries in previous years.
Manchester United officials are reportedly supporting their captain and have asked that the privacy of Fernandes and his family be respected as investigations continue.
The incident comes during a difficult period for the club, which is seeking to recover from a seven-match winless run.
Manchester United are scheduled to face Bournemouth at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.
