'Hurt' Bruno Fernandes claims Man Utd wanted him to seal transfer to Saudi Arabia last summer

Bruno Fernandes admits to being left “hurt” by Manchester United as they opened the door for him to complete a transfer to the Saudi Pro League during the summer of 2025. The Red Devils made it clear to their club captain that it would not be “so bad” for all concerned if a deal was done. Fernandes ultimately decided to remain at Old Trafford, but exit rumors continue to rage.

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  Fernandes contract: How long is left on Man Utd deal?

  Portugal international Fernandes is tied to a contract with United through to the summer of 2027 – with the option for a one-year extension. The 31-year-old midfielder has been a talismanic presence for the Red Devils across his time in English football.

  He joined from Sporting in January 2020 and has made over 300 appearances, passing 100 goals during the 2025-26 campaign. A move elsewhere has, however, been mooted for several months.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  What Fernandes said about Man Utd's willingness to sell

  Opportunities to head for the Middle East presented themselves in the last transfer window. Fernandes explained to that United were trying to push him out of the door: “The issue of loyalty isn’t viewed the same way it used to be. I could have left in the last transfer window, I would have earned much more money, I was going to leave a season ago – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely love the club.

  “The conversation with the manager [Ruben Amorim] 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 bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player who has nothing to criticize. 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.”

• Money matters: Why did Man Utd want to offload Fernandes?

  Fernandes elaborated on the potential deal: “The person who spoke to me was the president of Al Hilal, who called me directly. Ruben Neves sent me a message saying he wanted to talk to me. They wanted me to play in the Club World Cup with Al Hilal. It was already a love that came from the Jorge Jesus era, he had already called me in 2023."

  A lucrative contract would have been on offer in Saudi Arabia, but Fernandes claimed that money was not a motivator: “I can’t complain, I’m very well paid, but obviously the difference is abysmal. That was never what guided me. If one day I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I’ll play in Saudi Arabia. My lifestyle will change, my children’s lives will be sunny, after six years in Manchester with cold and rain, I’ll be playing in a growing league, with renowned players.

  “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 20 or 30 million, so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that. I never felt in a position to do it, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same. But it gets to 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 that, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision, because the manager wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty/GOAL
  

  Transfer talk: Could a deal still happen?

  Fernandes was also in contact with international team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Cancelo, as well as Neves and Joao Felix – who are all plying their trade in the Saudi Pro League. He admitted he saw the appeal in their moves: “I believe they went there to secure big contracts and still have the possibility of returning to Europe to play for big clubs, given their quality and because they are still playing for the national team.”

  Fernandes has previously stated that he will address the issue of his future again after playing alongside Ronaldo and Co. at the 2026 World Cup. It could be that he takes on a new challenge after six-and-a-half years in Manchester.