Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence after turning down a mega-money offer from Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Hilal, opting to stay and ‘play at the highest level’.
Al-Hilal made Fernandes their priority signing ahead of the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup and are said to have been prepared to offer him a tax-free contract in the region of £700,000-a-week plus bonuses.
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The Portuguese midfielder has since revealed why he opted to stay in England after his agent, Miguel Pinho, spent three days at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh holding face-to-face talks with Al-Hilal officials.
“The president of Al Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” he told ManUtd.com.
“There was a waiting period for me to think about the future. As I have always said, I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so.
“I spoke to coach Ruben Amorim who, throughout that period, was very annoying to me not to go! The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave, that it was not a financial issue.
“It was a very ambitious proposal,” he added. “The president was a fantastic person. We never discussed the amount [initially]. With my agent? Of course.
“Then, I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career. She was someone who always supported me a lot.
“It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Joao Cancelo there, my children are used to playing with him in the national team, we have a great friendship.
“But I want to maintain myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, and I feel capable of it.”
The 30-year-old has made 290 appearances for United, scoring 98 goals and setting up 86 more.
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