Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United wanted me to leave this summer

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has claimed “the club wanted me to go” when Al-Hilal made a big-money bid to sign him in the summer.

The Saudi Arabian club were reportedly willing to pay £100million for the 31-year-old midfielder, offering the Portugal international wages of up to £700,000 a week, but Fernandes ultimately stayed at Old Trafford after talks with manager Ruben Amorim.

In an interview with Canal 11, a channel owned by the Portuguese Football Federation, Fernandes has said he felt senior figures at United were keen to cash in.

“I could have left in this transfer window, I would have earned much more money,” Fernandes said in comments reported by A Bola. “I was going to leave a season ago, I would have won many trophies this season, but I decided not to go, not only for family reasons but because I genuinely love the club.

“From the club I felt it was, ‘If you go it’s not so bad for us’. It hurts me a bit. More than hurting me, it makes me sad. I’m a player that no one can criticise, I’m always available, I always give my best…

“I don’t see it as a matter of money. Financially I can’t complain, although the difference with Saudi Arabia is massive.

“If I ever go to play in Saudi Arabia, I will, it won’t be for the money, I’ll go because the lifestyle will change, my children’s lives will be sunny, after six years of cold and rain in Manchester, because I’ll be playing in a league that’s growing.

“The passion and empathy for the club were the same, but it reaches a point where money is more important to them than you. The club wanted me to leave. I told the directors that, I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision because the manager wanted me.

“But if I said I wanted to leave, even with the manager wanting me to stay, the club would let me.”

Fernandes also revealed Al-Hilal first made their interest known to him in 2023.

Their approach this summer came after United had lost the Europa League final to Tottenham and finished a lowly 15th in the Premier League.

Speaking in October, ahead of his 300th appearance for United, Fernandes had said his decision to reject Al-Hilal was based on a conversation with his wife Ana about having unfinished business in Manchester.

“The first thing she said was ‘have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve at the club?’ Because she knows that I haven’t,” he said.

“And when I talk about I haven’t fulfilled my dreams at the club, it comes a lot from what she said to me.”

Fernandes, whose goal and assist in Monday night’s wild 4-4 draw with Bournemouth took him to 103 goals and 93 assists in 307 appearances for United, is under contract until June 2027 with the club holding an option to extend the deal.