Bruno Fernandes opened up about his time at Manchester United in the latest edition of the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, opening the door to a chance to leave Old Trafford that he rejected due to his love for the Red Devils.
Bruno Fernandes says his time at Manchester United did not go to plan, saying he had opportunities elsewhere even during the club’s greatest struggles. The Portuguese midfielder joined the Red Devils in January 2020 in a £47m deal from Sporting CP.
And while the 31-year-old would have harbored aspirations of reliving the trophy-laden glory the club held during Sir Alex Ferguson’s legendary tenure, things haven’t quite worked out that way under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim.
In five years Fernandes has only won the FA Cup and League Cup to show for his efforts at the heart of United’s engine room, and the club’s Premier League form has also declined since his arrival. Last season, United achieved their lowest finish in the Premier League since the league’s inception in 1992, as the Red Devils finished lackluster in 15th place on Amorim’s debut.
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The club lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in May, missing out on the Europa League title. Now appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, Fernandes reflected on his time at Old Trafford.
Asked by Ferdinand about his love for the club, the United captain said: “Obviously I don’t think my time at the club was what I wanted because I obviously wanted to lift trophies and I should be lifting trophies and I haven’t lifted as many trophies as I could have.”
“But at the same time, in a way everything I’ve done for the club is still very important and I don’t think I’m taking anything away from the other players who were here and everything. I think I continued to be present at the club when we were struggling the most. The opportunities that were given to me were very good and I hope everyone at the club recognizes that.”
“So I’m very aware that I could have gone a different way. I had trophies in my cabinet, I could have gone a different way and probably won more trophies and people could have talked about me in a different way.”
“So these days, when you win or lose trophies, people talk about you being a better or worse player. If you look back,[Francesco]Totti is known as one of the best players in Italy, but unfortunately he hasn’t won many trophies.”
Fernandes spoke to Ferdinand earlier this month ahead of a recent damning interview in which Ferdinand claimed the United board wanted him away from the club in the summer. Saudi giants Al Hilal were willing to offer United £100m for Fernandes, but the attacking midfielder opted to remain at Old Trafford.
The club are also reportedly willing to pay Fernandes £700,000-a-week, which would see him earn around £100m over a three-year deal. And now the playmaker has suggested that while Amorim wanted him to stay, the United bosses were keen to make money.
The player told Canal 11: “I can’t complain. The salary is very good, but obviously the difference is huge. That’s not what led me. If I have to play in Saudi Arabia one day, I will play in Saudi Arabia.”
“My lifestyle will change and my children’s lives will be better. After six years in the cold and rain in Manchester, I will be playing in a growing league with recognized players. I could have left, like many people do, and said, ‘I want to quit, I don’t want to train, I just want to quit for 20 or 30 million euros and they’ll pay me more.’
“But I never did that. I was never in a position to do that because I felt the same sympathy and love that I had for the club. But there comes a point where money is more important to them than anything else.
“The club wanted me to go. It’s in my head. I told the manager about it, but I don’t think they had the courage to make that decision. I decided to stay, partly due to family reasons, but also because I really like the club. I also talked to the manager and he decided to stay.”
“But from the club’s side, I felt a little bit like, ‘If you leave, it’s not that bad for us.’ It hurts a lot. I’m not really hurt, but I’m sad because I’m not the kind of player they would criticize.
“I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give it my all. Then you realize that the players around you don’t value the club as much and don’t protect the club as much… It makes me sad.”
Fernandes’ comments are in direct contradiction to United, who claim Fernandes is central to their future plans this summer and have made it clear they will not sell him.
To watch the full interview, visit the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel.
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