Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has broken his silence after rejecting a lucrative offer to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal, Afrosport reports.
Al-Hilal were reportedly offering Fernandes almost triple his £250,000-a-week wages at United and were ready to cough up £100 million for his signature.
It was, however, reported early on Tuesday that the 30-year-old had rejected the deal as he wanted to “stay at the highest level” and has chosen to continue at Old Trafford, where he has been since January 2020.
Fernandes, who is currently away with Portugal and spoke to reporters ahead of their Nations League semi-final clash against Germany, confirmed he has refused the move to Al-Hilal following talks with United head coach Ruben Amorim as well as his wife, Ana Pinho.
“The president of Al Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there,” Fernandes told reporters on Tuesday, while in a press conference with Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez.
“I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.
“I spoke with Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke to the club, who said they weren’t willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“From my side, it was a very ambitious proposal, the president was a fantastic person. I never talked about the money, it ended up coming up later, with my agent.
“I had to make the decision as a family and understand what I wanted for my future. That was the question my wife asked: what my professional goals would be. At no point did she say yes or no, she always supported me and put my professional side first.
“It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo. My children are used to playing with theirs. But I simply want to stay at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that.
“I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most. I’m still very passionate about this sport. It’s my way of seeing football and I’m happy with my decision.”
Our skipper
@B_Fernandes8#MUFC pic.twitter.com/ebsPPtOJ0r
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 3, 2025
Fernandes is contracted to United until 2027, with the club holding the option for a further year.
Since his move to Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon, he has scored 98 goals and provided 87 assists in 290 games in all competitions and has won two titles, the League Cup and FA Cup.
