Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes was the subject of a concrete approach from Saudi Arabia last summer.
In August, Jorge Jesus said the midfielder decided to stay amid multiple attempts to take him to the Middle East. On October 10th, Fernandes himself said the idea of leaving Manchester United for Saudi was an “impossible scenario.”
Maisfutebol have relayed the latest comments made by the 31-year-old on Al-Hilal’s efforts to sign him The Portugal international spoke to Canal 11 and opened up more on the Saudi approach.
Fernandes’ compatriots Rúben Neves and João Cancelo are currently at Al-Hilal. Neves, along with the club’s president, Nawaf bin Saad, tried to persuade him to leave the Red Devils.
The Manchester United star has also revealed it wasn’t the first approach from Al-Hilal.
“The president of Al Hilal spoke to me. He called me directly. Neves sent me a message saying he wanted to talk to me. They wanted him to play in the Club World Cup with Al Hilal. It was a love that started back in the Jorge Jesus days, he had already called me in 2023,” he said.
The Manchester United captain conceded the deal proposed was tempting but he didn’t push for a transfer.
Fernandes believes the Red Devils wanted to cash in from his sale, likely to give them funds to spend elsewhere.
“I can’t complain, I’m very well paid, but obviously the difference is huge. That was never what guided me. If one day I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I’ll play in Saudi Arabia,” Fernandes explained.
“My lifestyle will change, my children’s lives will be sunny, after six years in Manchester with cold and rain, I’ll be playing in a growing league, with recognised players.”
“I could have left like many people do and said: ‘I want to leave, I don’t want to train, I just want to leave for €20m or €30m, so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that. I never felt in a position to do that, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same.
“But there comes a point where, for them, money is more important than anything. The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head. I told the directors this, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision.
“I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club. The conversation with the manager also made me stay. But, from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise about. I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give my all. Then you see things around you, players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend the club as much… that makes you sad.”
Fernandes has a contract until 2027, with an option for another year. His latest comments indicate that this could be his final season at Manchester United.
