Bruno Fernandes has made a shocking and emotional claim that has sent waves through the Manchester United fanbase. The club captain says Manchester United wanted him to leave last summer, even though he gave everything for the badge and remained one of their most committed players.
Speaking in a deeply personal interview with Portuguese TV station Canal 11, Fernandes opened up about the pain, sadness, and confusion he felt during a summer when Saudi giants Al Hilal were ready to pay £100 million to sign him.
“Man United wanted me to leave last summer, I have that in my head,” Fernandes said. The words were calm, but the message was heavy. For a player who has carried United through years of struggle, the feeling of being unwanted cut deeply.
Fernandes revealed that he spoke directly to the club’s directors about the situation. “I told the directors this, but I think they didn’t have the COURAGE to make that decision,” he said, making it clear that the internal situation at Old Trafford was far from united.
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At the center of the tension was head coach Ruben Amorim. Fernandes believes Amorim wanted him to stay, but the people above the coach were not willing to challenge him openly.
“The club wanted me to go away,” Fernandes said. “I don’t think they had the courage to make that decision because the coach wanted me.”
The Portugal international explained that if he had told the club he wanted to leave, they would not have stopped him. Even if the coach wanted him to stay, the door was open.
That feeling hurt him more than criticism ever could. “From the club’s side, I felt a bit like, if you leave, it’s not so bad for us,” Fernandes admitted.
For a player known for always showing up, always fighting, and always defending the badge, that feeling was painful. “It hurts me a lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad,” he said.
Fernandes went on to defend his commitment strongly. “I’m a player, they have nothing to criticise about. I’m always available, I always play, good or bad. I give my all.”
He also hinted at frustration when he looks around the dressing room. “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.”
Last summer, Al Hilal were ready to pay £100m for Fernandes. At 31 years old, many believed it was an offer United could not refuse. The Saudi Pro League club had already shown serious interest after Fernandes had turned down a move to another club the season before.
Fernandes admitted he could have left earlier too. “A season ago I was going to leave, I was going to win many trophies this season,” he said, suggesting he sacrificed silverware to stay loyal to United.
Despite the money and the chance to win elsewhere, Fernandes chose to stay. “I decided not to go, not only for family reasons, but because I genuinely liked the club,” he explained.
His conversation with Amorim played a big role in that decision. The manager publicly said in the summer that he hoped Fernandes would stay, and privately reassured him as well.
But what the club hierarchy said publicly does not fully match what Fernandes felt privately. Sky Sports News later reported that United’s leadership were clear with Fernandes throughout the summer that he was part of their plans and they had no desire to sell him.
Back in October, Fernandes himself said the message was different. “Jason [Wilcox], like Omar [Berrada], said ‘we won’t say no but we want you to stay at the club’,” he recalled. They also told him that if he wanted to leave, they would not block the move because of the massive money involved.
However, the interview recorded in November shows a very different emotional tone. Fernandes now feels he was walking on a “tightrope” at the club.
“I was valued, what values me most has to be my club, although I feel, lately, that I’m a little on the tightrope,” he said.
He also spoke about how age is viewed in English football. “In England a player reaches 30 and they think he has to remodel,” Fernandes explained, suggesting loyalty is no longer respected the way it once was.
“The issue of loyalty is not as well regarded as it used to be,” he added.
Bruno Fernandes has been Manchester United’s most consistent and influential player in the post–Sir Alex Ferguson era. Through poor seasons, managerial chaos, and constant criticism, he stayed when many others would have left.
That is why this story hurts United fans so much. A captain who stayed loyal, turned down trophies and money, and carried the team now feels he was seen as expendable.
Whether this interview strengthens Fernandes’ bond with the fans or creates new tension inside the club remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: Bruno Fernandes is speaking from a place of honesty, pain, and deep love for Manchester United.
