Bruno Fernandes remains Manchester United’s most important player after turning down two substantial offers to leave the club in the summer.
It has been a dire season for Manchester United with most players subjected to criticism for underwhelming performances.
Club captain Bruno Fernandes has had his share of criticism too, with club legend Roy Keane hitting out at the 30-year-old Portugal international for not doing enough for a United side struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Fernandes has kicked on since Keane’s rant by inspiring United to a comfortable 4-1 win over Real Sociedad on Thursday night. The victory secured a place for Ruben Amorim’s side in the Europa League quarter-finals.
The Portuguese Magnificio scored three of the goals and was awarded man of the match for his incredible display. This meant Fernandes broke two Europa League records for goal contributions and penalties scored.
Moreover, Paul Scholes compared Fernandes to Ryan Giggs after his recent performance against Real Sociedad.
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Fabrizio Romano confirms Bruno Fernandes offers
Bruno Fernandes revealed that he could have left Old Trafford after his heroics in the Europa League earlier this week.
“I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave,” Fernandes said after United’s win over Real Sociedad, as quoted by BBC Sport. “We talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying.
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“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 [Erik] 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. I thought that we could be successful.”
It’s a scary thought for United fans who will wonder where we would be if it wasn’t for Fernandes’ important contributions this season.
However, Fernandes kept his cards close to his chest by not revealing where that interest stemmed from.
Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Fernandes received two massive offers last summer.
According to Romano, Fernandes had an early summer enquiry from Paris Saint-Germain but the Parisians already had Joao Neves as their primary target.
Romano added that there was also significant interest from the Saudi Pro League but Fernandes decided to stay at United.
“The real proposal he [Fernandes] had on the table was from Saudi Arabia,” Romano said. “There was crazy money on the table for Bruno Fernandes in the summer 2023 and 2024.
“But Bruno decided to stay at Man United to respect Man United and to be committed to Man United. He loves the club, he loves the city, he loves the feeling he has with all the people at the club. He wants to win at Manchester United.
“So, Bruno sent a very clear message…”
What’s next for Bruno Fernandes?
Bruno Fernandes will be in action again on Sunday when Manchester United travel to Leicester City in the Premier League.
The Portuguese star will be looking to add to his tally for the season, which consists of 15 goals and 13 assists from 43 appearances.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has already identified United’s danger man as one to watch.
Fernandes will hope he can keep helping United’s first team build momentum between now and their Europa League quarter-final tie against Lyon next month.