“Either they sell him or I leave my role as the club captain…I can’t lead the team he plays”: Man United’s captain Bruno Fernandes is ready to leave his role as the club’s captain because of ONE arrogant teammate
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ future will – eventually – become a talking point as the Portuguese midfielder heads closer towards the end of his contract.
Fernandes is contracted to the Reds until the summer of 2027 but – with Ineos looking to cut costs – no player is seemingly off limits for being sold. In the summer, the 30-year-old was not named as one of the “untouchables” in the squad, to be exempt from sale.
The Manchester Evening News now understands that all players could be sold should the right bid be submitted. As such, the Manchester Evening News has taken a look at what Fernandes has said about his future.
Fernandes to Australia?
In a recent interview with Optus Sport, Fernandes admitted he’s now tempted to head to Australia in the future to see out the remainder of his career. “I still talk with him to improve certain things that he thinks can help me and I’m very happy to have someone like him that’s done great things in the world of football to have words with me,” said Fernandes when asked about his relationship with Juan Mata.
“He’s really happy to be there [in Australia]. He’s been only telling me good things.
“After the videos that he sends me about the lifestyle, about playing golf, being on the beach, the stadium, all the fans, the conditions that he has at the club and everything, I could think about [playing in Australia]. But obviously at Christmas time I was here with a lot of wind and cold and he was sending me videos of the sun and him living in front of the beach – it was beautiful.
“If he’s still there living, it will be an even better option because he told me he’s in love with the country and the culture.” Fernandes’ contract at Old Trafford is due to expire in 2027 and – at 30 – the Portuguese midfielder will be contemplating how he would like to spend the final years of his career.
Desire to win trophies
After signing a new contract in August, Fernandes made it clear that his desire was to win trophies with the Reds. “Everybody knows the passion I have for Manchester United,” he said in the immediate aftermath.
“I understand the responsibility and significance of wearing the United shirt, and the levels of dedication and desire required to represent this incredible club. I have had so many special moments here already; hearing my name sung from the Stretford End, plus scoring a hat-trick against Leeds, and leading the team out at Old Trafford on European nights and lifting trophies at Wembley.
“But I wouldn’t have signed this contract if I didn’t believe that my best moments in a United shirt are still to come. From my discussions with the football leadership and manager [Erik ten Hag], it’s clear how determined everyone is to fight for major trophies in the years ahead.
“I can see how positive the future is going to be and I’m relishing leading this team forward.”
Following the appointment of Ruben Amorim, Fernandes expressed his aim to kick on under the new manager’s leadership. “We hope that he can come, and this is the right moment for him to come and bring his energy, bring his qualities and his knowledge of football, because he’s done something really, really special at Sporting CP,” he explained.
“If someone doubts that, it’s about just looking at the past. Sporting CP was to be about 20 years without winning the league and he got back to win the league, and he won it two times in four years with a really youthful team, in a moment of change.
“So hopefully he can do the same here for us and [hopefully] it’s going to be a successful time for all of us.”
