Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted Ruben Amorim talked him out of moving to Saudi Arabia and detailed for the first time how close he came to leaving the Premier League
14:32, 20 Jun 2025
Ruben Amorim and Bruno Fernandes
Ruben Amorim was pivotal in convincing Bruno Fernandes not to leave Manchester United(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes has admitted how Ruben Amorim talked him out of leaving Manchester United.
Fernandes considered his future after being offered a megabucks deal from Saudi Arabia. The United captain spent weeks mulling over an offer from Al Hilal - before deciding to remain at Old Trafford. And Fernandes says he reached his decision following talks with Amorim.
He said: "The president of Al Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there. 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.
"I spoke with the coach, Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. Manchester United said they didn't want to sell me. They said if I wanted to go I could, but they didn't need the money.
"From my side, it was a very ambitious proposal, the president was a fantastic person. I never talked about the money, it ended up coming up later, with my agent.
Bruno Fernandes was one of Manchester United's few bright sparks last season
Bruno Fernandes was one of Manchester United's few bright sparks last season(Image: PA)
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"I had to make the decision as a family and understand what I wanted for my future. That was the question my wife asked, what my professional goals would be?
"At no point did she say yes or no, she always supported me and put my professional side first. It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo. My children are used to playing with theirs.
"But 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. I'm still very passionate about this sport. It's my way of seeing football and I'm happy with my decision."
Fernandes, meanwhile, has been shortlisted for the PFA Players' Player of the Year' award, despite United's worst season in Premier League history.
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He contributed a whopping 19 goals and 19 assists in all competitions for the Red Devils, as United finished 15th place in the table and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham.