Rio Ferdinand has disclosed that he sent a message to Bruno Fernandes following the review of various reports that the Manchester United Skipper had turned down a profitable proposal from the Saudi Pro League.
The big Saudi clubs have been closely pursuing the Portuguese player recently and even reached out directly to the individual handling his affairs within the past week.
According to Mail Sport, Fernandes' representative, Miguel Pinho, stayed for three days at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh recently, engaging in direct discussions with club representatives during his visit.
It is reported that the Saudi team has presented a deal amounting to £200 million spread across a three-year agreement, and they intend to submit another offer around £100 million specifically targeting the midfielder. Nevertheless, recent reports on Tuesday indicate that Fernandes has made up his mind about his career path and has turned down the proposition from the wealthy Saudi organization.
Ferdinand found it impossible to hide his joy over the news, stating that nothing could have pleased him more.
"Listen, I have to be truthful," he stated. YouTube In the channel Rio Ferdinand Presents, he says, "I'm not sure if I would have been able to refuse. At 30 years old, he's with a team that’s having difficulties."
He stated: "Bruno will remain with us; he is our top scorer, our primary assist man, and our key playmaker. He contributes significantly and also serves as our team captain."
'I woke up feeling incredibly happy this morning and indeed messaged him about it. I'll skip the specifics, but he truly stands out as a remarkable individual.'
Previously, Fabrizio Romano disclosed that the playmaker is eager to keep competing at the highest tier of European soccer.
Fernandes’ desire to compete at the highest level in Europe might pose problems for United – a team that ended up 15th in the league and suffered defeat in the Europa League final.
If they had won that match against Premier League opponents Tottenham, they would have secured their spot in the Champions League and been well-positioned to retain Fernandes.
We will have to wait and see which prominent European teams might show interest in Fernandes.
Part of the agreement saw the Saudi club ready to increase Fernandes' present weekly salary of £280,000 to a tax-free amount of £700,000.
A lot of Manchester United supporters have been unsure about Bruno Fernandes' prospects due to his recent posts on social media and because he was seen with someone from Al-Hilar FC.
Over the weekend, the player attended Joao Cancelo's birthday celebration where they had a communal dinner to mark the ex-Manchester City player’s 31st birthday.
The two compatriots will both play for the Portuguese national team later this week, yet the timing of their collaboration has fueled speculations even more.
Fernandes' presence at the event occurred soon after an ambiguous social media update that caused some supporters to speculate he might be leaving Old Trafford.
Fernandes has only just returned from United's disappointing end-of-season tour in Asia, where they weakly lost to the ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia. The match was watched by supporters who shelled out as much as £260 for their tickets.
Following their second game during the tour where they overturned a deficit to defeat Hong Kong 3-1, Ruben Amorim emphatically stated that he doesn’t think Fernandes has played his final match for United.
The exhausted manager stated: "I'm not convinced. I can't be certain. It seems like he wishes to remain. He is turning down many offers."
The club could explore alternative methods to generate revenue. My impression is that he definitely wishes to carry on with Manchester United; one can never tell what might happen.
Unified sources have reaffirmed that they have no intention of selling Fernandes, yet the club now face increased financial strain following their loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final, which deprived them of £100 million from Champions League revenues.
After the conclusion of the match, Fernandes admitted the likelihood of leaving during the summer. Defeatedly, he stated, "Should the club feel it’s best to go separate ways for financial reasons or anything else, then so be it. That's just how football can be."
In the meantime, Manchester United plan to initiate formal discussions with Brentford regarding Bryan Mbeumo, following the player’s expressed desire to join Old Trafford.
Newcastle United, Tottenham, and Arsenal have all shown interest in the 25-year-old player, but he has informed United that his preference is to join their team as part of Ruben Amorim’s reconstruction project this summer.
The clubs have to now settle on a price with Brentford reportedly estimating Mbeumo’s value at more than £60 million.
Read more