Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has a release clause in his contract and is thought to be able to play for overseas clubs outside of the Premier League. The midfielder has been a key player for the Red Devils since joining from Sporting almost six years ago. Former manager Erik ten Hag handed over the captain’s armband in 2023 and has now made over 300 appearances for the club.
Fernandes has scored five goals and provided seven assists in 17 games this season under current manager Ruben Amorim. Although he continues to show that he is a vital part of the team, there were circumstances in which he might not have remained at the club had certain members of United’s leadership prevailed over the summer.
Earlier this month, Fernandes made a shocking revelation, claiming that several people tried to push him to leave during the last transfer window, when he received a lucrative offer from Saudi Professional League side Al Hilal.
Fernandes turned down a lucrative wage package to remain at Old Trafford, but Amorim was keen to continue despite opposing views from the board.
“The club wanted me to leave, that’s what I think in my head,” he recently revealed to Canal 11. “I told the managers this, but I don’t think they had the courage to make that decision.
“I decided to stay because of family reasons, but also because I genuinely love the club.I also had a conversation with the manager, and I decided to stay.But from the club’s perspective, I felt a little bit like, “It wouldn’t be that bad for us if you left.”It hurt a lot.
“More than hurt, I’m sad because I’m not the kind of player they criticize. I’m always available and I’m always playing, good or bad.
“I try to do my best, and then I realize that the players around me don’t value the club as much, don’t protect the club as much… It makes me sad.”
Following an interview that cast fresh uncertainty over Fernandes’ future at United, it has emerged that the midfielder is said to have an exit clause in his contract. According to Fabrizio Romano, this can only be activated by foreign clubs.
“Bruno Fernandes has a release clause in his contract,” Romano revealed in his latest YouTube video. “And this clause does not apply to Premier League clubs. It only applies to overseas clubs. The amount is just over 60 million euros (approximately £52.5 million).”
“So there’s nothing imminent. Nothing’s happening. We’ll keep an eye on interest from Saudi Arabia as we head into the summer transfer window, because from Saudi’s perspective they think they can get Bruno Fernandes.”
“After that it will be up to Bruno and then up to Man United. We’ll see what happens before and after the World Cup.”
Meanwhile, United are preparing for this Sunday’s Premier League game against Aston Villa. A win in the Midlands would put them level on 29 points with Liverpool and Chelsea.
