Bruno Fernandes was offered life-changing sums of money by Al-Hilal, deliberated, weighed it all up and said no. The Saudi Arabian club's offer to Manchester United was around £100 million, with commensurate wages – of up to £700,000 per month. Life-changing for his family, for him, for even several future generations. But the number 8 said no. He’s remaining at Old Trafford. At 30, the captain wanted to keep wearing the United armband, even when the club had suffered one of the worst 30-year seasons. And it's the "no" which tells us more about him than the figure.
The burden of an unfavorable season
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League. They were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage. And they lost the Europa League final to Tottenham, their only chance for the title that season. By any standards, it had been a disastrous season. An environment like that is probably going to incite exits, provoke rebuilds and drive leaders to greener climes. And yet Bruno stayed. And for this, at least, we should remember him. He is not short of brains. He knows the position of the club is vulnerable. He knows there are doubts over the structure, the squad, the management. And yet he stayed.
Some of this is attributed to the arrival of coach Rúben Amorim. The Portuguese coach arrived this season and, through the disappointing performances, has the captain's support. Bruno previously stated they get along, but they are not friends. Professional respect seems to be enough to maintain each other's trust. The coach, his staff, publicly came out to support the behavior of the player. The coach said Bruno is eager to win, knows the road and has the intention to stay. Even furious on the field, Bruno seems to believe there can be something bigger to pursue.
Loyalty vs Ambition
We can put the decision of Bruno Fernandes down either way. The romantic spin shows him up as a man of duty. The kind of fellow who lays out big money to keep fighting for a struggling team. The pragmatic spin sees ambition. He doesn't want to relinquish the spotlight. He doesn't want to exchange the Premier League, the most competitive and under the spotlight league on the planet, for an on-the-rise league. He has juice to spend at the highest level still.
He craves the ball, the competition, the visibility. And he is also aware that, despite the problems, Manchester United still delivers all of those. Stay at United is also symbolic. Bruno came to United in January 2020 from Sporting for £47 million. As soon as possible, he became a regular and team captain, and technical point of reference. He has scored 98 and assisted 87 in 290. Even through times of chaos, the man has delivered. To captain through times of turmoil and not leave is an action that secures his place at the club.