Bruno Fernandes has been at the centre of controversy amid Manchester United's ongoing turmoil, with the club captain's frustrations becoming increasingly visible. The 32-year-old was an unused substitute during United's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Sunday, appearing dejected during warm-ups and heading straight down the tunnel at the final whistle.
Carrick's Decision and Fernandes' Reaction
Michael Carrick described the decision to keep the Portuguese midfielder on the bench as a footballing one, saying: "Picking the team is always a difficult decision. We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want. Unfortunately for everyone we didn't manage to get the right result. We want to push forward and create more, we could've done certain things but not enough really and that's pretty clear."
The choice did not sit well with the captain, who has reverted to familiar conduct from past seasons. Fernandes' official account reshared a social media post that read: "Never push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care." This followed the players being booed off the pitch by fans, who directed chants at the Glazers, Jason Wilcox and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Leaked WhatsApp Rant
Fernandes' competitive nature was evident before joining United, with a fiery outburst during his time at Sporting CP. In 2020, Portuguese outlet Record quoted Fernandes in a leaked WhatsApp voice message as saying: "Bro, I don't say anything! I honestly, if you want me to tell you, I'd rather not comment on anything. I think very badly of some of the attitude of some players. Actually not a certain attitude, it's an attitude that does not exist."
He added: "There are players who have no attitude here, bro. They don't want to be here, they don't want to play. They don't want to be here then f*** off, let them say they don't want to play. They spend a year here getting money, and then they f*** off, bro. S*** attitude bro, for f**** sake."
Contract Frustration
Fernandes had also been dissatisfied with his contract four years previously after rejecting an extension option. He refused a new deal in 2022, with The Athletic reporting at the time that the club wanted to offer him a salary upgrade. However, his agents turned down the contract, and talks stalled.
Fernandes wanted to match his team-mates' wages, with Cristiano Ronaldo on £400,000 a week and the likes of Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani earning £200,000. The midfielder ultimately penned a fresh agreement in 2024, committing him to the club until 2027 with an option to extend for another season.
