Bruno Fernandes of Portugal speaks to the media
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has had his say on why he opted against a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal
Manchester captain has broken his silence after snubbing a mega-money move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
The Manchester Evening News . His agent, Miguel Pinho, was in talks with the Middle Eastern club about a potential £100million transfer, and .
But news emerged on Tuesday that Fernandes had opted against a move to Al-Hilal after discussions with his family. The Reds star has now had his say on the decision while on international duty.
“There was an opportunity," he said in Portugal's pre-match press conference on Tuesday evening. "The president called me and asked if I wanted to go there.
"They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach [Ruben] Amorim. He asked me not to go.
"Manchester United didn’t want to sell me. They don’t need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen.“
He added: "Al Hilal were very kind. They spoke to my agent. Then I spoke to my wife. She asked: 'What do you want to do?' She always supports my decisions.
"It would have been easy to move there. I know the Portuguese players there very well. But I want to play at the highest level and compete for major titles.
"I can do that, and I still want to. I’m very passionate about football.”
Fernandes has scored 98 goals and provided 86 assists across all competitions for the Reds since joining from Sporting in January 2020. His current contract at United is set to expire in June 2027.
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