Bruno Fernandes has confirmed he has no desire to leave Manchester United this summer.
Numerous reports have suggested United could consider offers for Fernandes, with Bayern Munich touted as potential suitors, and Fernandes inadvertently fuelled the fire with a cryptic response to claims he could be part of a squad overhaul.
Manager Erik ten Hag, however, has always been confident that Fernandes wants to stay at Old Trafford, and the midfielder himself has now confirmed his desire to remain with United.
“After this difficult season, it is my responsibility to give more,” wrote Fernandes forThe Players’ Tribune, part of 90min’s parent company Minute Media, ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup final.
“It starts with me. And it starts tomorrow. We have to give everything in this last match against City, and we have to move forward.
“I love to step out at Old Trafford more than anything in the world. I don’t want to leave. This has always been my ultimate dream.
“I just want my expectations to fit with the expectations of the club. If you go talk to any fan, they will tell you the same thing. We want to compete for the league. We want to be playing Champions League football. We want to be in cup finals. That is the standard. That is what I want. That is what you all deserve.
“I just want to keep fighting. I want to be here. My family wants to be here.”
Fernandes went on to reveal how he burst into tears of joy when notified of United’s desire to sign him back in January 2020.
“You need to understand a bit about my situation,” Fernandes reflected. “The previous summer, there were some rumors about Premier League clubs being interested in me, but the only thing that was concrete was Tottenham.
“It feels weird to me now, but at the time, I was excited. One of my life goals was to play in the Premier League. I tried to block out all the noise, but in the age we are living in, with social media and phones and text, of course my friends let me know about the rumours. As a kid from Portugal, you can’t help but dream a bit about playing at the big grounds in England. In the end, the clubs couldn’t reach an agreement, and the deal fell apart. It was a complicated emotion, but I was really happy at Sporting. I felt the love of the fans, and it was a fantastic place for me. But it was not my destiny.
“A few months went by, and the new season started, and I tried to block out all the noise. So when my agent called me in January, I was a bit shocked when he said, ‘No, no. I’m serious. United. What do you want to do?’
“I literally told Ana (his wife), ‘I feel like I am already living a dream at Sporting. But this is… It’s more than a dream. It’s Manchester United.”
With one final message before the FA Cup final, Fernandes concluded: “I know it has not been easy. I know it has not been to our standard. But we’re on our way to Wembley. Get behind us one more time.
“Your captain, Bruno Fernandes.”
PLAY. FA Cup final sweep. Our FA Cup final sweepstake (UK only). dark
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90 Mins
