Bruno Fernandes makes shock Man Utd switch admission
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has admitted that he had presents to go away the membership final summer season earlier than signing a brand new contract.
Fernandes was the topic of widespread switch rumours final summer season, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain tipped to be monitoring the divisive playmaker. After captaining United to a shock FA Cup ultimate victory, the Portugal worldwide penned a brand new deal extending his keep at Outdated Trafford till the summer season of 2027.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t a completely simple course of. “I sat with the membership as a result of I had a suggestion to go away,” Fernandes revealed this week. “We talked about the potential for me leaving the membership or staying. They stated what they needed from me. I simply requested in the event that they nonetheless see me as a part of the way forward for the membership or not.”
Erik ten Hag was nonetheless answerable for United on the time and had been surprisingly handed a brand new contract himself earlier that summer season – a suggestion which co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has subsequently described as an “error”.
“I spoke on the time with Ten Hag additionally,” Fernandes continued. “He was very clear with me, the membership was very clear with me, that they thought I’d be a giant a part of this rebuild. I assumed that we might be profitable.”
Whereas the choice to maintain Ten Hag was swiftly and expensively aborted, Fernandes has repeatedly confirmed why persuading him to remain was such a coup for United. Nonetheless, the captain – who underscored his high quality with a hat-trick towards Actual Sociedad on Thursday evening – is just not universally adored.
Roy Keane spent 13 trophy-laden years patrolling Manchester United‘s midfield and has devoted nearly as a lot time to criticising his former employers. Harry Maguire, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford have all sparked simmering tirades from the previous Eire worldwide, however few gamers encourage fairly as a lot ire as Fernandes.
The membership’s present skipper was lately derided by his predecessor, who insisted: “Bruno’s not a fighter.”
United head coach Ruben Amorim staunchly defended Fernandes however the participant himself took a much less combative stance. “Roy Keane was a tremendous captain for the membership, top-of-the-line as everybody says,” the 30-year-old gushed. “I did not have the possibility to see a lot from him, solely the previous couple of years, however he was an excellent participant that gained every thing for the membership. He is massively revered from everybody and has all my respect.
“He has to offer his opinion in a programme and that is what he thinks about me.
“I do not wish to copy anybody. I attempt to be the very best captain that I can for my teammates and assist everybody in one of the simplest ways I do know.”
Regardless of hailing Fernandes because the “good captain”, Amorim did level out some room for enchancment. “We all know that generally he’s pissed off,” the pinnacle coach admitted. “We all know he desires to win so badly and when issues are usually not going nicely, he’s altering place and going after the ball. Generally he must belief his teammates.”
