Unfinished business at Man Utd for Bruno Fernandes as he prepares for 300th game

By Simon Peach, PA Chief Football Writer

Bruno Fernandes has opened up about how he turned down a money-spinning summer move to Saudi Arabia in the hope of achieving his dreams with Manchester United.

The 31-year-old has been the best signing of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era and is set to make his 300th appearance for the Red Devils in Saturday’s Premier League match against Brighton.

Fernandes has won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup since joining from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, scoring 100 goals along the way, but United have been some way off challenging for the title.

Last season was the nadir as Ruben Amorim’s side slumped home 15th and lost the Europa League final – humiliation that meant the 20-time league champions entered full rebuild mode over the summer.

Fernandes was offered an escape route as Al-Hilal came sniffing but he spurned a move to Saudi with unfinished business at Old Trafford having spoken to wife Ana.

“We always say we have an offer from Saudi because obviously wherever I have to go, they have to come,” he said of his family. “They can choose not, but I’d prefer them to come.

“And obviously the first thing she said was ‘have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve at the club?’ Because she knows that I haven’t.

“And when I talk about I haven’t fulfilled my dreams at the club, it comes a lot from what she said to me.

“And obviously I’m not sure, she’s not sure I’m going to make it (come true). But if I don’t try it, that’s for sure I won’t make it.”

Fernandes’ dream is to win the Premier League and Champions League with United having turned down Al-Hilal in a summer that saw other clubs, from both Saudi and Europe, try to sign him.

But having spoken to Amorim and the club hierarchy, including chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, it was clear his “answer wouldn’t change” from that point.

“The manager spoke with me,” Fernandes said. “He said I was still part of the project. He wanted me to stay. The club said the same.

“I always said that if the club was like ‘Bruno, we want to cash in, you are 30 years old, we want to make some money, we don’t think you can be part of the future project’ or whatever, I would be like ‘OK, I have to find a solution for myself, whatever is best for me and my family, and I will leave’.

“But obviously that wasn’t the case. I felt that I was still part of the plan, that I could still help the club to achieve whatever was our aims. And that’s what made me stay.”

Another Fernandes spoke to as he weighed up the move was Portugal team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo, who joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr after his second spell at United ended in acrimony in late 2022.

“He had his opinion on what I should do,” he said of his compatriot. “With all the experience he has and everything, it was important for me to hear what he thought. But obviously the decision will always come to me and to the club.”

Fernandes has a contract at Old Trafford until 2027, with the option of a further year, and so long as he shines at United there will be interest from Saudi and elsewhere.

“As I’ve always said, I feel good here,” he added. “I want to achieve my dreams still. But obviously I can’t talk by the side of the club.

“I’ve seen a lot of news. I’ve seen a lot of people talking that I had an agreement to go already next season. If the club has done that agreement, it wasn’t made with me, so I haven’t spoken with anyone.

“I could tell you that there are still people talking to me and saying that they will be very eager to have me next year, of course. But from my side, that’s not talked about.

“Because my agent also knows how I work, so if he wants to talk to me, it will be after the World Cup. Because until then, I won’t speak to anyone.”