Saudi move rejected by Fernandes as he stays at Manchester United to ‘stay at the highest level’ of the game.
Bruno Fernandes reveals he rejected Saudi move to ‘stay at the highest level’
Manchester United Bruno Fernandes has stated that he has declined a lucrative offer to relocate to Saudi Arabia because he prefers to “remain at the highest level.” The 30-year-old midfielder has been linked to a £100 million move to Al-Hilal, where the Saudi Pro League team is supposedly willing to pay him £700,000 a week.
Fernandes confirmed he had rejected the chance to move after speaking to Ruben Amorim and his own family. “The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there,” Fernandes said, according to the Portuguese news outlet O Jogo. “I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.
“I spoke with Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke to the club, who said they weren’t willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave. From my side, it was a very ambitious proposal, the president was a fantastic person. I never talked about the money, it ended up coming up later, with my agent.
“I had to make the decision as a family and understand what I wanted for my future. That was the question my wife asked, what my professional goals would be. At no point did she say yes or no, she always supported me and put my professional side first. It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Rúben Neves, João Cancelo. My children are used to playing with theirs.
“But I simply want to stay at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most. I’m still very passionate about this sport. It’s my way of seeing football and I’m happy with my decision.”