Bruno Fernandes has confirmed Manchester United made the final decision to block a proposed transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal this summer.
After United fell to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final, Fernandes rocked the Red Devils by teasing a possible exit in the transfer market, admitting he would leave Old Trafford if he was no longer wanted.
That sparked interest from Al Hilal, who wanted a new superstar on the books in time for the Club World Cup. United were reportedly offered a transfer fee of £100 million ($135.7 million), with Fernandes standing to earn a weekly wage of £1 million, but the speculation ultimately went nowhere.
“I know numbers matter the most in football,” Fernandes told the Sydney Morning Herald. “Obviously it was a big number that the club could get for me. So I know how tough it was for the club.
“When I spoke with the president of Al Hilal, I spoke with him once and I told him, ‘I’ve never thought about leaving, I appreciate your call. Whatever you want to do or not, you can talk with the club,’ because I’ve always said if the club wanted to sell me, then yes, I had to make a decision. But if the club doesn’t, I don’t have to make a decision, because my aim is to stay here.
“It’s a lot of money for me, too, but it is what it is. People make decisions in their lives. I won’t regret it because this is the place I want to be and this is the place where I want to be successful also.”
Jorge Jesus, former Al Hilal manager and current Al Nassr boss, recently admitted Fernandes’s determination to remain with United contributed to the collapse in talks, with Al Hilal failing to rush through a deal before the Club World Cup began.
Now committed to staying with United, Fernandes is focused on bouncing back from a miserable campaign last year. The Portugal international has high aspirations but it looking no further than Sunday’s Premier League opener against Arsenal.
“Expectations at this club are always high,” Fernandes continued.
“It doesn’t matter if you rebuild or not. Manchester United has no time to rebuild. You just have to start strong again. That’s all. No one will be saying that you need to rebuild. At Manchester United, time doesn’t exist. You have to do it now.
“We’re ready for that. We’re ready to do everything we have to do to win the game against Arsenal. We will prepare ourselves in the best way possible to play against one of the strongest teams in the Premier League in the last few years. We’re going to do it in the best way possible.
“I’ve always said I want to win the Premier League with this club. I want to win the Champions League. I want to win every competition that I’m involved in with the club. Who doesn’t? But my aim now has to be Arsenal…because getting those three points will put me closer to what I want in the future.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘A Big Number’—Bruno Fernandes Reveals Truth Behind Al Hilal Transfer Talks.
