Bruno Fernandes is captain fantastic for Man Utd this season but he could have left Old Trafford in the summer.
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Bruno Fernandes is having an outstanding season, but could have left United last summer
Bruno Fernandes came close to leaving Manchester United last summer and admitted he asked the club if they still saw him as part of their future, before eventually signing a new contract.
The 30-year-old penned a new three-year contract in August but that deal came about after he had an offer to quit Old Trafford and sought out talks with Erik ten Hag and club executives, over how they saw his own role and their ambitions for the club.
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Fernandes was linked with Bayern Munich in the summer and has now revealed there was a serious offer from a potential suitor, but United will be thankful he stayed after continuing his outstanding season against Real Sociedad.
He scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win against the La Liga side to book a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals, taking his tally for this season to 15 goals and 13 assists in 43 games. The Europa League is the only avenue left for a trophy in another disappointing season, although Fernandes insists playing for United remains a "big honour" for him.
"I sat with the club [in the summer] because I had an offer to leave, we talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying," he said.
"They said what they wanted from me. I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not. I spoke at the time with Ten Hag also. He was very clear with me, the club was very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild that they want to do in a different way.
"I heard what they had to tell me. I thought that we could be successful. Unfortunately, we didn't start the season very well. Erik had to lose his job by the results we had and the performance we had, but the fault was on everyone and everyone together with the manager.
"Now we are in a different moment with a new manager that thinks in a different way, that has a different way of playing. I'm still very happy at the club.
"I'm being always happy at the club to play for this club, to represent the club is a big honour for me. It doesn't matter where we are in the league, it will always be an honour for me to be at this club and I will try my best to keep the club fighting for everything we can."
Fernandes has given his best years to United but has just a League Cup and an FA Cup to show for his consistent excellence, but he played down the idea that he deserved more or was now impatient for success.
"No, I deserve the same as my teammates. I'm in the same boat as them," he said. "If I haven't given everything to the club yet, or more to the club, it's because I don't deserve it and that's it.
"It doesn't matter how much you do, how much you score, how much you assist, that doesn't change anything. It's about the team, it's about the club to succeed. As I said, I'm very happy at the club.
"Obviously, I want to win trophies. I'm not stupid, I won't say that I don't want to win trophies. I want to be in the biggest competitions, I want to fight for the big trophies. That's what I said to the club. That's what the club said to me that they want to do."