Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes telling a media outlet back home that the club higher-ups treat players in their 30s like a commodity—"furniture" to be exact—has not gone down well with the board, a report said. The 31-year-old Portuguese midfielder said that while he is paid well, the feeling is "like being on thin ice."
It was to Portugal's Canal 11 that Bruno Fernandes opened up, which was then printed by MaisFutebol. The midfielder said that he had the chance to join a team that would have offered him a trophy-laden season. He stayed because of loyalty, yet now Manchester United are prioritising money over anything. The directors want him to join Saudi's Al-Hilal, but they are not stating it to his face because the manager wants him to stay, he said.
Meanwhile, the bombshell revelations have not gone down well at Old Trafford. "Shocked" and "disappointed" were among the words used to describe the situation, as the club have openly rejected the theory that they wanted to sell Bruno to the cash-rich Saudi Arabians. His comments have dented this stance and have irked the club owners, TeamTalk said in a report.
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Regarding whether the consequence of the player's statements includes a fallout that will ultimately lead to his January exit, the report said that such an outcome is unlikely, as the board still respects Bruno's leadership and, despite their disappointment, would still treat him as the captain whom they wish to remain at Old Trafford.
What Bruno Fernandes told the press?
(As Transcribed by TeamTalk)
“Until you win trophies, you’re not valued as much, regardless of the club and league you’re in.
“I was valued, and what values me most has to be my club, although lately I feel like I’m on thin ice. In England, when a player starts approaching 30, they start thinking they need a makeover. It’s like the furniture.
“The issue of loyalty isn’t viewed the same way it used to be. I could have left in the last transfer window; I would have earned much more money.
“I was going to leave a season ago – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely love 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 bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player who has nothing to criticise.
“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.
“The person who spoke to me was the president of Al-Hilal, who called me directly. Rúben Neves sent me a message saying he wanted to talk to me. They wanted me to play in the Club World Cup with Al-Hilal. It was already a love that came from the Jorge Jesus era; he had already called me in 2023.
“I can’t complain, I’m very well paid, but obviously the difference is abysmal. 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 renowned 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 20 or 30 million, so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that.
“I never felt in a position to do it, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same. But it gets to 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 that, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision, because the manager wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go.”