‘I had an offer’ – Bruno Fernandes reveals he nearly quit Man Utd in showdown talks over total rebuild
BRUNO FERNANDES has revealed he had an offer to LEAVE Manchester United last summer – but chose to stay after hearing the club’s vision for the future.
The Red Devils captain, 30, was the star of the show as United beat Real Sociedad 4-1 on Thursday night.
Bruno netted a hat-trick as Ruben Amorim’s men booked their place in the Europa League quarter finals.
The win came among a turbulent week for the club off the field.
Co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe admitted on Monday that United would have “run out of money by Christmas” without his £300m cash injection.
But he also singled out Fernandes for praise after blasting a section of United’s on-field flops.
Club captain Bruno spoke with reporters following the win at Old Trafford.
And he revealed he had an offer to leave the Theatre of Dreams in the summer.
Fernandes said: “I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave, we talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying.
“They said what they wanted from me.
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“I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not.”
Fernandes is seen by United as key to any rebuild, with then-manager Erik ten Hag instrumental in keeping him at the club.
He continued: “I heard what they had to tell me. I thought that we could be successful.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t start the season very well.
“Erik had to lose his job by the results we had and the performance we had, but the fault was on everyone and everyone together with the manager.”
Ratcliffe didn’t hold back in a bombshell interview with the BBC, slamming some flops as “overpaid” and “not good enough”.
Fernandes said: “We need to prove ourselves every day in training, every day that we have a game. We can’t relax at this club.
“You know that there’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media, from everywhere.
Man Utd player ratings
CAPTAIN Fantastic rescued Manchester United once again - scoring a hat-trick as the Red Devils overcame an early scare to beat Real Sociedad and advance in the Europa League.
He was the coolest man inside Old Trafford twice as he slotted home penalties either side of half-time to put his side in control against the Spaniards.
Joshua Zirkzee was another who impressed as Manchester United secured a tie against Lyon in the quarter-finals.
But it wasn’t all positive.
Rasmus Hojlund drew a blank yet again. That’s now 21 games and no goals – the equivalent of over THIRTY HOURS without the £72m striker hitting the net.
Check out our full Man Utd player ratings.
“You need to realise that sometimes you need to put your focus on your game, trying to improve yourself. It’s not nice to hear certain things obviously.
“I don’t think that any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever.
“Everyone has their own contract.
“The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract or whatever and it’s about yourself proving that you can be important for the club.”
After committing his future to the United project, Fernandes admits he told the club he wants to get his hands on silverware.
He added: “I’m very happy at the club.
Man Utd squad transfer verdict
SunSport gives its verdict on what Man Utd stars should stay or go in the first phase of Ruben Amorim's squad rebuild:
Andre Onana – Stay
Despite being guilty of some erratic performances, Andre Onana remains a world-class goalkeeper and United would struggle to find better in the market.
The defence has begun to look more solid in recent weeks now Amorim has had time to coach the structure into the team, and hopefully, that will be converted into clean sheets going forward.
Noussair Mazraoui – Stay
The best signing from the summer window so far, Noussair Mazraoui has proven to be everything Man Utd needed and more.
Versatile, reliable and passionate no matter whether he plays at wing-back or centre-back, it is a no-brainer to keep the Moroccan.
Leny Yoro – Stay
After a pre-season injury, Leny Yoro has taken some time to bed in but he has shown some superb moments in a Man Utd shirt already like his lung-busting run to block a Liverpool shot in the 2-2 draw at Anfield earlier this month.
At the age of 19 he will only get better and while too much expectation should not be thrust on him just yet, the early signs suggest he could be a mainstay in defence for years to come.
Harry Maguire – Go
The last time we did this list Harry Maguire was one of our main defensive options to be sold, but since Amorim has come with the back three the England international has barely put a foot wrong.
The issue with Maguire is that while he is perfectly suited to a back three, he will be 32 in the summer and has just one year left on his contract, so if a serious offer comes in he should regrettably be sold.
Matthijs de Ligt – Stay
Matthijs de Ligt has been very hit or miss since arriving in the summer. Capable of heroic last-ditch tackles like he did at Arsenal and also capable of some very silly passages of play like his handball against Liverpool.
In many ways, the Dutchman seems like a younger version of Maguire and given some more time to bed in he should improve even more.
Lisandro Martinez – Stay
Has really started to grow into the Amorim system in recent games after a very sticky patch of form.
He is one of the team’s best progressive passers in the build-up phase and has the dogged mentality this team will need to improve and claw its way up the table.
Luke Shaw – Go
It’s been said that one of the best abilities is availability, and that rings incredibly true for Luke Shaw.
World class on his day and is clearly still capable of finding those levels, as seen at less than full fitness with England at the Euros. But he is simply not available often enough to warrant keeping.
Tyrell Malacia – Go
Tyrell Malacia is still recovering his match sharpness from his two-year injury layoff, so it is a bit harsh to make a verdict on him so soon.
The current concern is that United will need to aggressively recruit specialist left wing-backs in the summer, and Malacia so far has not looked totally comfortable playing there.
Manuel Ugarte – Stay
Question marks were being raised about him after his first few games. But under Amorim, Manuel Ugarte has once again become the lynchpin of his midfield.
He knows the system inside out and is one of the Premier League’s most proficient ball winners. It would be madness to consider his sale next summer.
Kobbie Mainoo – Stay
Despite reports that Chelsea and Bayern Munich want to sign the 19-year-old, Kobbie Mainoo should be one of the few genuinely untouchable stars at the club and his contract situation needs sorting ASAP.
He has quality and aspects to his game not possessed by many other midfielders, and with improvements to the stars around him, he and Ugarte should be able to form an effective partnership for many years to come.
Casemiro – Go
Casemiro unfortunately seemed to lose his legs going into his second season at Man Utd. And with the 3-4-3 system demanding even more running from him, it is clear he simply does not fit the bill for what the club need going forward.
It would also help the club’s financial goals to see him sold due to his massive £375,000-a-week wages being taken off the books.
Bruno Fernandes – Stay
The club captain, Bruno Fernandes has faced a lot of criticism since taking the armband for his erratic decisions and losing his temper.
Yet he remains the best player in the squad by some distance and shows the mentality the squad needs to improve. Besides it’s not like United’s most famous captain of the Premier League era, Roy Keane, was exactly cool-headed.
Antony – Go
There’s a definite case to argue that Antony may be the worst pound-for-pound signing in Premier League history, with games too often passing him by and lacking quality when he is involved.
That being said, he has improved in a number of brief cameos when featuring as a wing-back under Amorim. But unless there is a plan for him to learn the position and become a specialist he should be moved on.
Marcus Rashford – Go
It was not supposed to end like this. Once the darling of Old Trafford and Carrington, Marcus Rashford’s comments admitting he wanted a new challenge were probably the final nail in the coffin for his Man Utd future.
There is a classy player in there if he can find the motivation to love his football again. A sale to a rival should be ruled out for fear of exactly that, while a sale overseas should be targeted and pushed by the club.
Amad Diallo – Stay
Has taken a real liking to his role as either the right No.10 in the 3-4-3 or as the right wing-back.
Amad Diallo has been one of the team’s best players this season and was rewarded with a new deal as a result.
Alejandro Garnacho – Go
Arguably the trickiest star on the list, Alejandro Garnacho has bags of raw talent to elevate him to being world-class. But recent off-field issues and poor form have doubt cast on his future.
If, as reports suggest, a major bid of £60m from the likes of Napoli comes in there will be a tough decision to make. Though it may be the financial situation of the club which ultimately tips the scale.
Joshua Zirkzee – Go
Joshua Zirkzee has certainly been hit-and-miss at United so far. He has had some games and moments where he has looked very impressive, and others where he is simply not good enough.
He has a very unique profile which makes him top drawer in the right system, it is just United will probably never play the right way for him to truly excel.
“Obviously, I want to win trophies. I’m not stupid, I won’t say that I don’t want to win trophies.
“I want to be in the biggest competitions, I want to fight for the big trophies.
“That’s what I said to the club. That’s what the club said to me that they want to do.
“Then it’s about the players going on the pitch and try to do it is about the club to do the investments to bring players, take players or whatever they want to do It’s not my part to say who’s good to come, that has to be the manager and the board.
“They have to decide themselves. I just want to do everything I can to to help the club to succeed.”
And Fernandes also had a measured response to United legend Roy Keane, who last month unleashed a furious tirade towards the club captain.
Keane branded United’s stars “f**ing imposters” and accused Fernandes of “pretending to close players down.”
Fernandes responded: “Roy Keane was an amazing captain for the club, one of the best as everyone says.
“I didn’t have the chance to see much from him, only last few years, but was a great player that won everything for the club. He’s massively respected from everyone and has all my respect.
“He has to give his opinion in a programme and this is what he thinks about me.
“What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind, or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing.
“Obviously, I do it in my own way, I don’t want to copy anyone.”