Manchester United club captain Bruno Fernandes has made an interesting claim about one Arsenal star.
During an interview with Joel Beya, Fernandes revealed that he desperately wanted United to sign Declan Rice before his blockbuster move from West Ham United to Arsenal.
He said: “I admire him a lot. First of all, as a person, because I’ve known him from the Algarve when we were training together and everything.
“I’ve always said, Rice was a player to play for Man United, I was really sad when he chose to go Arsenal.
“I always thought he would be a perfect fit for our club.”
United missed out on a dream signing
United were strongly linked with Rice throughout 2021 and 2022, but their failure to push aggressively for the deal eventually allowed Arsenal to win the race in 2023.
The Gunners shattered their transfer record by paying £100 million for the England international, and the investment is already paying huge dividends.
There has clearly always been strong mutual respect between Fernandes and Rice after the pair previously trained together in the Algarve.
Fast forward a few years, and they are now locked in a fierce battle for the PFA Player of the Year honour.
United supporters can only imagine how frightening a midfield trio of Rice, Kobbie Mainoo and Fernandes could have become at Old Trafford.
Such a combination would not only have transformed United into genuine title challengers but potentially elevated them into one of the best teams across Europe.
Praise from Fernandes does not come lightly, which makes his glowing comments about Rice even more significant.
It is obvious that the Arsenal midfielder possesses qualities and leadership traits that the Portuguese playmaker deeply admires.