He could have earned much more at Al-Hilal than at Manchester United. But after some consideration, captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the offer – partly because of Ruben Amorim.
The ongoing speculation about Bruno Fernandes’ future in recent days was not without reason: Ahead of Portugal’s Nations League semi-final against Germany in Munich on Wednesday, the Manchester United captain confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s dethroned champions Al-Hilal had indeed been courting him heavily, but that he had turned down the lucrative offer.
“The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about the possibility of a transfer,” the Portuguese portal O Jogo quotes Bruno Fernandes as saying, who then began to ponder the offer but decided against the move after consulting with his club and family.
The financial terms were not discussed on the phone, but only later in talks with his advisor. The media is talking about a weekly salary of more than €800,000, while Bruno Fernandes spoke of at least a “very ambitious offer” from Al-Hilal, which also underlines its unchanged ambitions with the imminent signing of Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi.
“It would have been an easy move, also on a family level,” emphasized the 30-year-old midfielder, referring to his Portuguese compatriots Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo, who are also under contract with Al-Hilal. “But I just want to continue playing at the highest level and in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of doing so. I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most. I still have a great passion for this sport.“
”Ruben Amorim tried to talk me out of it”
That’s why he’s “happy” with his decision – and that apparently also applies to those responsible at ManUnited, to whom Bruno Fernandes offered his resignation after losing the Europa League final, should he no longer be wanted. “I spoke to Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke to the club, who said they didn’t want to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.”