Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has opened up on the emotional toll of last summer’s transfer window, revealing that the club were prepared to let him leave despite his importance at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international was heavily linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia, fuelling widespread speculation over his future. Although Fernandes eventually chose to stay, he admitted the situation left him deeply hurt.
“The club wanted me to go [in the summer], I have that in my head,” Fernandes told Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol. “I told the directors this, but I think they didn’t dare to make that decision.
“I decided to stay, partly for family reasons, but also because I genuinely like the club. The conversation with the manager also convinced me to stay. But from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’”
Fernandes said the feeling was painful, especially given his commitment and availability since joining the club.
“It hurts me a lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise. I’m always available, I always play, whether I’m good or bad. I always give my all,” he said.
“When you then see things around you – players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend it the same way – it makes you sad.”
The 31-year-old went on to explain just how close he came to leaving, suggesting that only the intervention of head coach Ruben Amorim kept him at the club.
“I knew very well that Manchester United wanted me to leave. I think the club didn’t do it because Ruben Amorim wanted me to stay, but I could sense that even if I left, it wouldn’t be seen as a bad thing from the club’s perspective,” Fernandes added.
He also revealed that he sought advice from former United forward Cristiano Ronaldo before making his final decision.
“Ronaldo gave me some advice, but the final decision was always mine. I stayed because I truly love this club, but loyalty isn’t valued as much as it used to be in football today.”
Fernandes also reflected on Amorim’s early months at Old Trafford, noting the difficulties the manager faced after arriving from Sporting Lisbon.
“It was a very difficult start for him. He came after winning everything at Sporting Lisbon and found a team with extremely low morale,” Fernandes said. “We did well in the Europa League, but we couldn’t maintain the same consistency in the league.”
