Bruno Fernandes after Manchester United's Europa League Final defeat
The 30-year-old has been a rare shining light in a dreadful season at Old Trafford, but even his star was dimmed in Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to fellow Premier League strugglers Spurs in Bilbao.
Fernandes has recently been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, leading head coach Ruben Amorim to stress United should try to keep “one of the top players in the world”.
But the Europa League final defeat has financial ramifications as it means they miss out on Champions League qualification, with the lack of European football raising fresh questions over the skipper’s future.
“I’ve always said I will be here until the club says to me that it’s time to go,” Fernandes said. “I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to great days.
“In the day that the club thinks that I’m too much or it’s time to part ways, football is like this, you never know it. But I’ve always said it and I keep my word in the same way.
“If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cash in or whatever, it’s what it is, and football sometimes is like this.”
Fernandes joined United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and has just won the club’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for the fourth time - a joint record with Cristiano Ronaldo and David De Gea.
The Portugal international’s future is one of numerous issues facing United as they enter a summer rebuild under Amorim, whose side sit 16th in the Premier League and have now fallen at the final hurdle in Europe.
“We just agreed that he’s the right man,” Fernandes said of his compatriot, who succeeded Erik ten Hag in November.
“He has done a lot of good things. We know that the manager is looked at by the results. Obviously we see more than that as players.
“We know for everyone it will be about him bringing back the positivity in the club, trying to bring the club back to fight for trophies, fight for the big trophies. And we all agree that he’s the right man.”
Fernandes was speaking moments after Amorim vowed not to quit but admitted he would walk away without compensation if United’s board and fans wanted him to.
Asked what he would have to say to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s decision-makers, the skipper said: “It’s not my decision, but I do think the manager is the right one.
“I don’t think that it will be a better person to come into the job and to do the job. I know it’s difficult to understand that, it’s difficult to see that, but I still do think that he’s the right man to lead the club.
“I do think that obviously the club is in a situation where it’s easier to get a different one in because the results haven’t been there.
“But as my other team-mates said, and I repeat myself, I do think he’s the right man.”
United defender Diogo Dalot, meanwhile, called for reflection after the defeat to Spurs in Bilbao.
“It hurts when you see the fans like this. They’ve been with us every single time after the poor results that we had and the difficult season that we had,” Dalot told United’s official website.
“They don’t deserve it, and if it doesn’t hurt you, if you don’t feel it, then you shouldn’t be here.
“So, it’s time for reflection. Everyone needs to reflect. And when it’s time to make decisions, make decisions. When it’s time to act, we act. And when it’s time for us to go on the pitch, we win games.”
Dalot had been sidelined for nearly a month with a calf injury but made his comeback as a late substitute on Wednesday.
“I think it sums up a little bit our season, a rollercoaster of emotions during the game. But we kept fighting until the end,” said the Portuguese international, who joined United in 2018.
“It’s hard to take... not being able to win a trophy that could give some joy, especially to the fans. Seeing them at the end hurts a lot.”