Bruno Fernandes has dropped a new statement on his Manchester United future after receiving offers to leave the Old Trafford club during the summer transfer window
23:05, 16 Dec 2025Updated 07:18, 17 Dec 2025
Bruno Fernandes has made an admission on his future(Image: Getty)
Bruno Fernandes has hinted that he could leave Manchester United soon. The 31-year-old midfielder said in a bombshell interview that emerged after United’s 4-4 draw against Bournemouth on Monday that the club wanted him to leave during the summer transfer window, amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal were reported to have lodged a huge bid for Fernandes, but a deal never went through, with Ruben Amorim’s side instead keeping their captain and playmaker. He has since impressed for United, scoring five goals and adding seven assists in 16 Premier League matches this season.
The former Udinese man, who moved to the Reds in a £67.6million move from Sporting CP in February 2020, netted a stunning free-kick and grabbed one assist in United’s draw with Bournemouth. Speaking post-match, Fernandes then stunned fans by revealing United tried to sell him – though the club insist they outlined he was a key part of their plans.
Now, Fernandes has spoken in another interview with Portuguese channel Canal 11 and dissected his future, hinting he would be open to leaving United in the not-so-distant future if they don’t show him enough love.
Speaking in a recent interview, Fernandes told Canal 11: “I want to stay at Manchester United as long as I feel desired. I would like to experience the Spanish league and fight for big titles in Italy. I have many connections to Italy… my daughter was born there.
“I’ve already thought about returning to Portugal… the first option would be Sporting. To be happy, like it was with Sporting. But I don’t want to ruin the image that was left.
“But I don’t want to drag myself there, I want to add to it. And even try district football, at an advanced age. You play in the district for love, you feel different. I have friends in the district.”
Fernandes admitted he would be open to three moves in the future(Image: Getty)
Despite the huge wages he could earn in Saudi, Fernandes had made it clear he is intent on staying in Europe should he ever leave United. The skipper has been a standout figure for Ruben Amorim once again this season and claimed that the manager wanted to keep him back in the summer.
“I could have left in the last transfer window and would have earned a lot more money. Financially, it would have been much better for me,” he claimed.
“At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club. The conversation with the coach also made me stay.
“But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.
“Then you look around you and see players who don’t value the club as much as you do and who don’t defend the club as much. That makes you sad.”
Fernandes first moved to Italy in 2012 after signing for Novara. He spent a season there before moving to Serie A side Udinese, where he enjoyed a successful three-year spell.
After scoring 11 times and adding 13 assists in 95 appearances for Udinese, he signed for Sampdoria in 2016. But Fernandes struggled to settle there and moved back to Portugal with Sporting CP a year later.
Sporting is where Fernandes started to kick on, with the midfielder hitting his stride and posting some impeccable numbers in Primeira Liga. Although he spent just two-and-a-half years at the Lisbon club, Fernandes managed to record 63 goals and 50 assists in 137 games, winning three major trophies in the process.
Fernandes joined United in the 2020 January transfer window and he has become a crucial member of the side since, scoring 103 goals and providing 93 assists in 307 appearances.