Bruno Fernandes has reportedly told his Manchester United teammates that he intends to remain at Old Trafford this summer, putting an end to speculation about a potential departure. The Manchester United captain, who had been linked with a move away, has made his stance clear to those close to him.
Fernandes' Decision After Family Talks
The Manchester Evening News understands that Fernandes seriously considered a transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal last year. His agent, Miguel Pinho, held talks with the Middle Eastern club over a potential £100 million move. Although United did not rule out his sale, the Portugal international ultimately decided against the move after discussions with his family.
Fernandes went on to enjoy the best season of his career at United. The 31-year-old recorded 21 assists in the Premier League last term, breaking the all-time record for a single campaign previously held by Kevin de Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
No Formal Talks Yet
According to TalkSPORT, Fernandes has not held any formal talks with the club over his future before the World Cup, but he has already told teammates and those close to him that he intends to stay at United.
In April, Fernandes revealed that his wife convinced him to stay. Speaking to the Wayne Rooney Show on BBC Sport, he said: "I stayed because I thought I still had something that I can give back to the club. Obviously the Saudi situation, with the money... there was a lot. The good thing I have in my family is that my wife is pretty down to earth like me."
He added: "We're very aware that we don't want to be the richest person in the world. We just want to be the ones that have achieved the dreams they had and live a good life with their kids and trying to be as successful as possible."
"The words of my wife were like, 'have you achieved your dreams? Have you achieved everything you wanted?' And that small thing she said made me understand that she's on the same page as me. Let's keep trying and see where this takes me."
Fernandes' United Career
Fernandes joined United in 2019 from Sporting and has since made 327 appearances, scoring 107 goals. He registered his first goal contribution at the World Cup on Tuesday, teeing up Cristiano Ronaldo's second in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
