Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence after rejecting a lucrative transfer to Al-Hilal in favour of staying at Manchester United this summer. The Saudi Pro League club pushed to lure Fernandes away from Old Trafford in time for the FIFA Club World Cup but were unsuccessful.
Ahead of Portugal’s UEFA Nations League semi-final against Germany on Wednesday, the United captain joined Roberto Martinez for a pre-match press conference. He was unsurprisingly questioned about Al-Hilal’s failed swoop and offered an insightful answer, revealing crucial details about the saga.
“There was that possibility. The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future,” Fernandes explained.
“As I have always said, I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so.
“I spoke to coach Ruben Amorim, who, throughout that period, was very annoying to me not to go! The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“It was a very ambitious proposal. The president was a fantastic person. We never discussed the amount [initially]. With my agent, of course.
“Then, I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career. It was an easy move, even at a family level.
“I had Joao Cancelo there, my children are used to playing with him in the national team… We have a great friendship.
“But I want to maintain myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions. and I feel capable of it.”
There was a widespread belief that United were reluctantly willing to cash in on Fernandes to fund Amorim’s mammoth rebuild this summer.
However, the 30-year-old also revealed that the club “didn’t need the money” to facilitate their transfer plans over the coming months.
Fernandes’ agent had flown to Saudi Arabia for negotiations, with an eye-watering offer worth £21million-a-year across four years reportedly on the table.
On top of tripling the Portuguese maestro’s salary at Old Trafford, Al-Hilal were prepared to pay United £80m to part ways with their star man.
Whether Fernandes would rebuff interest from a Champions League club remains to be seen, given his clear desire to play at the highest level.
But whether such a suitor would be capable of meeting his asking price – or the fee proposed by Al-Hilal – is also up in the air.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk