Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has confirmed he rejected a £100 million transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, opting to remain in top-tier football. The 30-year-old midfielder was reportedly offered a £700,000-per-week deal, but after discussions with his family and manager Ruben Amorim, he decided to stay at Old Trafford.
Fernandes revealed that Al-Hilal's president contacted him a month ago to explore a potential move. He stated: 'I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.' He added that Amorim 'really tried to talk me out of it' and the club indicated they were not willing to sell unless he pushed for an exit.
The Portuguese international emphasised his desire to compete at the highest level, saying: 'I simply want to stay at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most.' He noted that the decision was made with his family's support, despite having friends like Rúben Neves and João Cancelo in Saudi Arabia.
Former United defender Gary Neville praised Fernandes's commitment, telling Sky Sports: 'It’s significant. To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, “No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things,” I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character.'
