[MF] Bruno Fernandes: "Manchester United wanted me to leave."

AI Translated Image

Bruno Fernandes looked back at last summer's transfer market, revealing that he almost left Manchester United to move to Al Hilal.

The Portuguese national team midfielder confessed that he felt sadness due to some of the things that happened in recent months.

Bruno Fernandes said:

“If you don’t win trophies, you don't get the proper recognition, no matter what club or league you are in. I have received recognition, and the place that should recognize me the most is my club. But lately, I felt like I was walking on a tightrope. In England, when a player starts entering his 30s, they think they need to revamp. Like furniture."

“The concept of loyalty isn’t viewed the way it used to be. I could have left during the last transfer window and earned much more money. I almost left a season before that too—I won't say where, but it was a place where I could have won a lot of trophies that season. I decided to stay for family reasons, and most of all, because I genuinely love this club. My conversation with the manager also heavily influenced my stay. But from the club's perspective, I kind of got the feeling, 'It wouldn't be that bad for us if you left.' That hurt me a bit. Not hurt, but made me sad. I think I'm a player no one can fault. I'm always ready to play, and whether I play well or poorly, I always show up for the game. I always give my best. But when I look around, there are players who don’t value or commit to the club that much... seeing that pains me."

Bruno Fernandes was also honest about the interest from Saudi Arabia, revealing that while the Manchester United hierarchy wanted him to leave, Coach Amorim was different.

“The person who called me directly was the President of Al Hilal. Rúben Neves texted me to let me know he wanted to talk. They wanted me to play in the Club World Cup for Al Hilal. That interest has been ongoing since the time of Coach Jorge Jesus, and he even called me directly in 2023.”

“I have nothing to complain about. I'm already paid well enough. But it's also true that the difference in money is enormous. That said, money has never moved me. If I play in Saudi Arabia someday, I'll play there. My way of life will change, and after spending six years in Manchester full of cold and rain, my kids will live in the sunshine. I'd be playing with famous players in a growing league.”

“I could have left like many people do, saying, 'I want to leave, I don't want to train, just lower the transfer fee by 20m or 30m so they pay me more salary over there.' But I never did that. I thought the mutual understanding and affection between the club and me were equal. But at some point, money became more important than everything else to them. The club wanted me to go. That's definitely stuck in my head. I told the club officials that. But I think they didn't have the courage to make that decision because the manager wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have sent me away.”

The Portuguese midfielder also revealed that he received advice from Cristiano Ronaldo, mentioning Rúben Neves and João Félix as examples.

“They signed massive contracts there and still have the possibility of returning to Europe and playing for big clubs. That's because they have the skill and can still make the national team,” he concluded, wrapping up the interview.