‘The Club Said’—Bruno Fernandes Changes Story After Brutal Man Utd Rant

The midfielder had “very good” chances to leave Old Trafford in recent years.

Bruno Fernandes revealed a desire to play in La Liga and make a return to Serie A. / Michael Regan/Getty Images

Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes admitted the club actually “asked him to stay” on two separate occasions, a direct contradiction to his recent tirade that claimed the Red Devils wanted him to leave.

The 31-year-old took aim at Man Utd in a head-turning interview on Tuesday, accusing the club’s upper management of lacking the “courage” to sell him last summer despite their desire to cash in on a reported £100 million ($134.2 million) transfer to Al Hilal.

Fernandes said the club prioritises money over “anything,” and only attributed his stay at Old Trafford down to Ruben Amorim, who wanted the midfielder to remain with the team.

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Yet in a new interview on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the Portugal international had a different recollection of events, one that saw the 20-time English champions eager to keep him in a red shirt.

“When I came to the club, apart from loving being here and loving the club, I think my loyalty was in the toughest periods and I could have left two times,” Fernandes said. “The club said ‘no, we need you’ and I said ‘OK, you gave me something, I will give you something.’”

Along with interest from the Saudi Pro League, the former Sporting CP standout teased potential transfers to La Liga and Serie A, while also keeping the door open for an eventual return to play in Lisbon.

Still, Fernandes remained loyal to Man Utd, a fact he “hopes everyone at the club is aware of” because he indeed could have seized one of his “very good” chances to leave.

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Fernandes: Aim Remains to Win Trophies at Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes still hopes to get the Red Devils back to their former prominence. / Robbie Jay Barratt /AMA/Getty Images

Despite all his recent talk of a potential transfer, dating back to the aftermath of Man Utd’s 2024–25 Europa league failure, Fernandes remains focused on adding more silverware to the club’s legendary trophy cabinet.

“I’m very aware that I could have gone a different path and probably won more trophies and people talking about me in a different way because I’ve had trophies into my cabinet,” Fernandes told Ferdinand.

“When I speak about going and winning trophies, I stayed here because I think I still can win trophies here. I wouldn’t have stayed here if the club hasn’t told me our aim is still to be the highest we can be, get back to winning trophies, get back to be the club we were before.

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“If that was not the aim then yes, I wouldn’t have stayed here, but because I know the aim of the club is still to get back to where they want to be and where I want the club to be, that’s why I came to the club in the first place. If I can help to get back there, that’s all I want to do.”

Fernandes has done what he can to get the Red Devils back to championship-winning glory. The Portuguese midfielder has scored 103 goals in 307 appearances for Man Utd since he joined in 2020, helping the club win the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup the following season.

Yet it will take a lot more than just Fernandes’s individual skill and leadership to get Amorim’s side to the top of the Premier League table before the skipper’s contract expires at the end of next season.

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