Bruno Fernandes shares huge Man Utd regret in new message to owners who ‘want him out’

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Bruno Fernandes has said that his time at Manchester United hasn't run as planned, and that he had opportunities elsewhere when the club struggled the most. The Portuguese midfielder joined the Red Devils in a £47million deal with Sporting CP in January 2020.

And while the 31-year-old will have held aspirations of reliving the trophy-laden glory that the club held under Sir Alex Ferguson's legendary tenure, things haven't quite played out that way under the tutelage of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer , Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim .

In five years, Fernandes has just an FA Cup and a League Cup to show for his efforts in the heart of United's engine room, while the club's Premier League performances have also faded since his arrival. Last season saw United register their poorest-ever Premier League finish since the league's inception of 1992, as Amorim's debut saw the Red Devils finish in a lacklustre 15th .

The club also missed out on winning the Europa League title in May, courtesy of a bitter 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. And now, appearing on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast , Fernandes has reflected on his time at Old Trafford.

When asked about his love of the club by Ferdinand, the United captain said: "Obviously, I think the time at the club has not been as I wanted because obviously, I wanted to lift trophies and I haven't lift as many as I should and I could.

"But at the same time, I think everything I've done for the club in a certain way was still very important and not taking nothing away from other players that were here and everything. I think when we struggled the most, I stayed present to the club and I think everyone at the club, I hope, is aware of that because the chances I had were very good.

"So I'm very aware that I could have done a different path. I could have gone in a different way and probably winning more trophies and people talking about me in a different way because I've had trophies into my cabinet.

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"So nowadays people talk more like you are a better player or a worse player if you win or you lose trophies. It changed a lot because if I look at the past, [Francesco] Totti is known as one of the best players in Italy and unfortunately for him he hasn't won many trophies."

Fernandes spoke to Ferdinand earlier this month, ahead of a damning recent interview emerging which saw him claim that the United board wanted him away from the club in the summer. Saudi giants Al-Hilal were ready to offer United £100m to sign Fernandes, but the attacking midfielder instead opted to remain at Old Trafford.

The club were also reportedly willing to pay Fernandes £700,000-a-week , which would have seen him rake in around £100m over the course of a three-year contract. And now, the playmaker has suggested that while Amorim wanted him to stay, the United hierarchy were keen to cash in.

He told Canal 11: "I can’t complain, I’m very well paid, but obviously the difference is huge. 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 recognised 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 €20m or €30m, so they pay me more on the other side.’

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"But I never did that. I never felt in a position to do that, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same. But there comes 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 this, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision. I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club. The conversation with the manager 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 lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise about.

"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."

Fernandes' comments directly contradict those coming from United, who have insisted that they made it clear to Fernandes this summer that he was central to their plans going forward, and that they would not sell him.

Head to the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel to watch the full interview.

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