Bruno Fernandes has said he believes Manchester United wanted to sell him in the summer, and that the club 'hurt him a lot'.
Fernandes has long been subject to speculation regarding a move away from the Premier League, with the Portuguese strongly linked with a switch to the Saudi Pro League in the summer. As United's top earner, who's now 31 years old, Fernandes was reportedly in line for a move away from Old Trafford, eventually opting to stay.
But despite the club leaving the decision up to Fernandes, the United skipper says he was hurt by the club's openness to letting him leave.
Speaking to Canal 11, Fernandes said: "I could have left like many people do and said: ‘I want to leave, I don’t want to train, I just want to leave for €20m or €30m, so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that. I never felt in a position to do that, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same.
"But there comes a point where, for them, money is more important than anything. The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head. I told the directors this, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision.
“I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club. The conversation with the manager also made me stay. But, from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise about. I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give my all. Then you see things around you, players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend the club as much… that makes you sad.”
Fernandes may still depart in the summer with United still not in a position to win major trophies. Despite his excellent performances for a number of years at the club, Fernandes has been restricted to an FA Cup and an EFL Cup, playing just 13 times in the UEFA Champions League in five-and-a-half seasons.
Fernandes's contract expires in 2027.
