Bruno Fernandes: Million dollar offer from Saudi Arabia and affection for Man Utd

(Dan Tri) - After 300 matches for Man Utd, Bruno Fernandes shares about his journey, the million-dollar offers from Saudi Arabia and the reason he chose to continue staying at his "second home" Old Trafford.

Sitting in the sunshine at the Carrington complex, Bruno Fernandes spoke candidly about his 300-game mark for Man Utd and the important decisions in his career. The Portuguese midfielder confirmed that his family has completely adapted to life here, despite the harsh weather.

“My family feels very comfortable in Manchester, my children love it here, despite the weather and everything. Today everything is fine,” Fernandes said, smiling, looking up at the blue sky.

However, things could have taken a different turn this summer. Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) approached Fernandes and he carefully considered the offer. At Man Utd, Fernandes had discussions with Ruben Amorim, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox. At home, the opinion of his wife Ana also played a big part in his decision.

“The first thing she said to me was: 'Have you achieved everything you wanted at Man Utd?' Because she knew I hadn't,” Fernandes revealed.

Fernandes also sought advice from his compatriot and former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Fernandes said: “I spoke to him about the situation, about Saudi Arabia and everything. I don’t want to reveal what he told me, but we spoke about it. Cristiano has his own opinion about what I should do. With all my experience, it was important for me to listen to his opinion. But obviously the decision will always be mine and the club’s.”

Million dollar offer from Saudi Arabia

Fernandes reached 300 matches for Man Utd in the victory over Brighton last weekend (Photo: Getty).

Fernandes has denied rumours that he will leave Old Trafford after this season. “I see a lot of news that I have an agreement to leave next season. If the club has an agreement, it is definitely not with me. I have not spoken to anyone,” Fernandes said.

The Portuguese star said he would only consider his future after completing his international duty in the United States: “My agent knows how I work. If there is anything to discuss, it will be after the World Cup. Until then, I will not speak to anyone.”

Fernandes was Al Hilal's top target last summer. The Saudi Arabian representative reportedly offered him a salary of 40 million euros per year after tax, plus 10 million euros in bonuses, to convince him to leave Man Utd. According to The Athletic, even when Fernandes announced he would stay, Al Hilal President Fahad Bin Nafel still flew to Paris to wait for the opportunity to close the contract. However, the midfielder born in 1994 refused.

“The salary they offered was really huge. I understand why they were not happy when I turned it down. But I am not in a position to count every penny. My family lives simply, and we know what we want for the future,” Fernandes revealed.

Not only Al Hilal, but also several European teams have approached. However, Fernandes confirmed that no team has made an official offer. "Some people have contacted me, but no one has put money on the table. Without a specific offer, the club will not allow me to leave," he revealed. According to Fernandes, the coach and the board of Man Utd want him to stay.

“The coach still insists that I am part of the project, the club leadership too. If they said: “Bruno, we want to make money, you are 30 years old”, I would find a solution, but they did not say that. They want me to stay and help the team achieve its objectives,” said the Portuguese midfielder.

During the tour in Malaysia, Fernandes met with Sporting Director Omar Berrada and CEO Jason Wilcox to clarify the situation. "They didn't want me to leave, but if I wanted to leave and had a good offer for both sides, they would respect it. However, even though Al Hilal offered 80-100 million pounds, Man Utd still refused," Fernandes said.

Fernandes confirmed he is having a happy life in Manchester (Photo: Getty).

The 31-year-old player confirmed that he and his family have settled in England and feel happy with their current life.

“I have a special connection with the club, the fans and the country. My family has grown accustomed to life in Manchester. We miss our homeland, but I have no plans to return to Portugal to play, at least for now,” Fernandes said. However, he still has affection for his starting team: “If one day I have the chance to return to Portugal, Sporting will always be my top priority.”

Before the 2025-26 Premier League season kicked off, coach Ruben Amorim praised Fernandes for turning down attractive offers from the Middle East.

Regarding the reason, Fernandes shared: “Money is important to everyone, but I don't have to worry about it. My wife and I come from a normal family. We have never lacked anything, but we always understand the value of working and saving. When I retire, I just want to live peacefully, occasionally going out for coffee with my father."

Bruno Fernandes remains the spiritual leader and symbol of Man Utd. After his definitive statements, his future at Old Trafford has been decided, at least until after the 2026 World Cup.

An incomplete journey at Old Trafford

The 2023-24 FA Cup is Fernandes' second title with Man Utd, previously he won the 2022-23 League Cup (Photo: Getty).

Fernandes still has work to do at Old Trafford before the current season ends. In 2024, he signed a three-year contract extension, his current deal expires in 2027, with an option to extend for a further year until 2028. If he stays until then, he will be part of 'Project 150' - the club's ambition to win the title in its 150th year.

The Portuguese midfielder scored 100 goals and provided 84 assists in 299 appearances for the Red Devils, winning the FA Cup and League Cup, but losing two Europa League finals. He was also part of the squad that finished second in the Premier League in 2020-21 under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

"Everyone knows my goal is to win the Premier League and Champions League with Man Utd. Whether I can do it or not, I cannot tell you," Fernandes shared.

Fernandes stressed the importance of collective success over individual accolades. He said: "It's not always the best player in the world who wins the Ballon d'Or, but he's had a good season. I want people to say good things about me, I want the team to do well, because that's important to me. It makes me, in the eyes of everyone, a better player. I think that's what was missing during my time at Man Utd, that we did something as a club, something bigger."

He admitted he has not been able to bring the success he expected: "I have not been able to bring the success that this club wants and deserves, as well as the success that I always wanted when I signed for Man Utd, because when I came to the club that was my target. I have been lucky to do well, but as I always say, I have not done well enough because I have not achieved what I wanted."

Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took over after a minority investment, there have been many changes at Man Utd. Fernandes revealed Ratcliffe is a regular at Carrington: "We always see each other when he comes to training. We chat a little bit, but he doesn't get involved in the technical stuff. I don't think he can do that and we can't do what he does. We have a good relationship. Every time Ratcliffe comes, he tries to meet and talk to everyone. He has Omar and Jason, who are closer to us, to get the message across."

Fernandes insists he has a good relationship with boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Photo: Getty).

Fernandes expressed optimism about the new signings under Ratcliffe, particularly Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

"Every time I speak to anyone, they say, 'We need to sign good players'. But we need to sign big personalities, not good players, because at this club, sometimes just being good players is not enough because of the pressure and attention we face," he stressed.

He praised the new recruits' understanding of the club's stature: "I think we've brought in players who are very knowledgeable about the club's stature. Cunha has a great pride to do the right thing. Bryan is not afraid to take the ball, to express his style. We've bought two players who know the Premier League."

On Sesko, Fernandes commented: "We know Ben will be judged on the number of goals he scores, but he has done very well whatever he has been given. He has scored goals, and I think now he will go even further. Ben is very eager to learn, which is very good for a player who has played so well in the Bundesliga. In his heart, Ben always tells himself that he has to learn to become better."

As for goalkeeper Senne Lammens, Fernandes believes he came with the aim of becoming number one: "Senne probably came here with the intention of becoming number one. He has been waiting for his chance and is ready for it. This is the aim of this club."

Fernandes on Cunha and Bryan's playing style: "When we talk about Cunha, we often talk about arrogance with the style: 'Give me the ball, I want to play, I want to create something.' Sometimes that's not good for people. I've experienced that. But we want Cunha to be like that. We want him to take risks, shoot, go past opponents, and be creative.

Sometimes I get annoyed with Bryan in training because he always seems to want one more touch. I say, 'Bryan, you don't have to do that. You can take one touch and shoot because you're good at it. You did that to us when you were at Brentford!'"

Fernandes is ready to change for Man Utd

Fernandes, Mainoo in Man Utd shirt (Photo: Getty).

Fernandes has been candid about his place in the squad, especially with competition from young talent Kobbie Mainoo. The Man Utd captain has expressed his admiration for Mainoo, who has made great strides in recent months. Although coach Amorim once said Mainoo could compete with Fernandes for the central midfield position, the Portuguese star does not see it as a direct confrontation.

"I don't think Kobbie is a competitor, because I think he's very capable of doing what I can do in a different way. If you look at the numbers, I'm a better scorer, Kobbie is a better challenger. We're different players, but we can still bring good things to the team in a different way," Fernandes explained.

Fernandes stressed that he enjoys competition and that having Mainoo around him helps him become a better player. "Kobbie is very young, but he has the ability to play at a high level, and he helps me become a better player. That's the kind of competition I want," he said.

Questions have been raised about Fernandes’ longevity and whether a deeper role would prolong his playing time at the top level, with Fernandes admitting that modern football requires a lot of running.

“I run more than anything else. It’s a big difference from when I first started. I had teammates who could run 6-7km per game and still be at the top. Nowadays, if you run less than 9-10km, you’re really falling behind,” he said. Fernandes is confident in his ability to run well enough to meet the demands of the coach and the league, but he is also aware of the ever-present competition at the club.

Fernandes is willing to change himself to adapt to the team's requirements (Photo: Getty).

Given his leadership and leadership skills under Amorim, a coaching career seems a natural progression after Fernandes retires, expressing his love for this aspect of football.

"I really like that side of football. That's something I always talk about with Juan Mata. I think he's more inclined towards the role of sporting director. But coaching is what I want to do," Fenandes said.

Fernandes said he was lucky to grow up in teams where the players always looked out for him, and his parents always tried to help everyone. "In the future, I can look back and be proud that I had a little influence on the younger generation. I'm happy to see them grow up and reach the position they want to be," he said.

When asked about his greatest moment at Man Utd, Fernandes didn't mention a trophy or a goal, but his debut against Wolves on February 1, 2020. "Without that game, I wouldn't have achieved all the other titles. That moment will always be a highlight of my time at Man Utd," he explained.

Fernandes admits he had a quick start, never faltering at a big club and a tough league like the Premier League.

"I'm hungry enough to do everything. For me, the first opportunity is the last opportunity, so I need to take it. I have nothing else in my mind but to play in the Premier League, because my dream is to play for this club for many years. When the opportunity comes, I cannot waste it," he affirmed.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/bruno-fernandes-loi-moi-trieu-usd-tu-saudi-arabia-va-tinh-cam-voi-man-utd-20251030053512323.htm