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Bruno Fernandes has given the green light to a departure from Manchester United by confirming he would welcome moves to Spain, Italy and Portugal. The Red Devils skipper has cast serious doubt over his future in recent days.
An interview he conducted with Portuguese media during the latest international break emerged over the past few days, containing some notably candid remarks. During the discussion, Fernandes acknowledged feeling as though the club was pushing him towards the exit door over the summer, though he ultimately remained.
In subsequent revelations, the 31 year old has outlined his preferred destinations should he depart Old Trafford. Speaking to Canal 11, the Portuguese midfielder stated: "I want to stay at Manchester United as long as I feel desired.
"I would like to experience the Spanish league and fight for big titles in Italy. I have many connections to Italy... my daughter was born there.
"I've already thought about returning to Portugal... the first option would be Sporting. To be happy, like it was with Sporting. But I don't want to ruin the image that was left.
"But I don't want to drag myself there, I want to add to it. And even try district football, at an advanced age. You play in the district for love, you feel different. I have friends in the district."
Fernandes kicked off his career in Italy, playing for Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria before transferring to Sporting Lisbon. He had a highly successful stint with the Portuguese team before making his move to Manchester United in January 2020.
While Fernandes has never played in Spain, he's frequently been linked with Real Madrid. Although it seems his preference is to stay in Europe, he hasn't ruled out a potential move to the Middle East in the future.
He stated: "If one day I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I'll play in Saudi Arabia. My lifestyle will change, my children's lives will be sunny, after six years in Manchester with cold and rain, I'll be playing in a growing league, with renowned players.
"I could have left like many people do and said: 'I want to leave, I don't want to train, I just want to leave for 20 or 30 million, so they pay me more on the other side.' But I never did that.
"I never felt in a position to do it, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same. But it gets to a point where, for them, money is more important than anything. The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head.
"I told the directors that, but I think they didn't have the courage to make that decision, because the manager wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go."
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