The former Udinese ace, who joined the Red Devils for £67.6m from Sporting CP in February 2020, scored a stunning free-kick and added an assist during United’s draw with Bournemouth.
Fernandes stunned supporters in his post-match comments when he admitted that United were looking to move him.
The midfielder spoke at length about his future prospects in a new interview with Portuguese broadcaster Canal 11, suggesting he would be open to leaving United in the near future.
Fernandes revealed: “I want to stay at Manchester United for as long as I want. I want to experience the Spanish league and fight for big titles in Italy. I have a lot of ties to Italy…My daughter was born in Italy.”
“I was already thinking about going back to Portugal… My first choice would be Sporting, to be as happy as I was at Sporting. But I don’t want to spoil the image that remains.
“But I don’t want to drag myself down there, I want to step further into it. And try playing district football at an older age. I play district for the love of it, but it feels different. I have friends in district.”
Fernandes moved to Italy in 2012 after joining Novara. He stayed there for one season before moving to Serie A side Udinese, where he spent three productive seasons.
He joined Sampdoria in 2016 after making 95 appearances for Udinese, scoring 11 goals and providing 13 assists. However, Fernandes found it difficult to establish himself there and returned to Portugal with Sporting CP after 12 months.
It was at Sporting that Fernandes truly blossomed, with the midfielder finding his rhythm and producing exceptional results in the Primeira Liga. Despite spending just two and a half seasons with the Lisbon team, Fernandes scored 63 goals and 50 assists in 137 games, winning three major honors in the process.
Fernandes joined United during the January 2020 transfer window and has since established himself as an integral part of the squad, scoring 103 goals and providing 93 assists in 307 games.
