Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has no intention of leaving this summer but admits the club could end up cashing in on him following the damaging Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
The 30-year-old midfielder has been a rare shining light in a dreadful season at Old Trafford, but even his star was dimmed in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat by fellow Premier League strugglers Spurs in Bilbao.
Fernandes has recently been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, leading head coach Ruben Amorim to stress United should try to keep “one of the top players in the world”.
But the Europa League final reverse has financial ramifications as it means they miss out on Champions League qualification, with the lack of European football raising fresh questions over the skipper’s future.
Fernandes outlines what Manchester United must do to improve after their Europa League final loss against Tottenham
“I’ve always said I will be here until the club says to me that it’s time to go,” Fernandes said. “I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to great days.
“In the day that the club thinks that I’m too much or it’s time to part ways, football is like this, you never know it. But I’ve always said it and I keep my word in the same way.
Fernandes had a final to forget
“If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cash in or whatever, it’s what it is, and football sometimes is like this.”
‘Amorim’s done a lot of good things’
Ruben Amorim is confident of his position as Manchester United head coach though says if the board and fans say he is not the ‘right guy’ he ‘will go the next day’
Fernandes joined United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and has just won the club’s Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award for the fourth time – a joint record with Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea.
The Portugal international’s future is one of numerous issues facing United as they enter a summer rebuild under Amorim, whose side sit 16th in the Premier League and have now fallen at the final hurdle in Europe.
“We just agreed that he’s the right man,” Fernandes said as he backed his compatriot, who succeeded Erik ten Hag in November.
“He has done a lot of good things. We know that the manager is looked at by the results. Obviously we see more than that as players.
“We know for everyone it will be about him bringing back the positivity in the club, trying to bring the club back to fight for trophies, fight for the big trophies. And we all agree that he’s the right man.”
‘Amorim is the right man for United’
Amorim’s press conference following Europa League final defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao
Fernandes was speaking moments after Amorim vowed not to quit but admitted he would walk away without compensation if United’s board and fans wanted him to.
Asked what he would have to say to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the club’s decision-makers, the skipper said: “It’s not my decision, but I do think the manager is the right one.
“I don’t think that it will be a better person to come into the job and to do the job. I know it’s difficult to understand that, it’s difficult to see that, but I still do think that he’s the right man to lead the club.
“I do think that obviously the club is in a situation where it’s easier to get a different one in because the results haven’t been there.
“But as my other team-mates said, and I repeat myself, I do think he’s the right man.”
Sky Sports to show 215 live PL games from next season
From next season, Sky Sports’ Premier League coverage will increase from 128 matches to at least 215 games exclusively live.
And 80 per cent of all televised Premier League games next season are on Sky Sports.
