Manchester United have made their stance clear on selling Bruno Fernandes during the summer transfer window as Galatasaray show interest in signing their captain
Bruno Fernandes and Manchester United are reportedly having contract talks after Galatasaray apparently made the Portugal international a £17million offer.
United will not consider any offers for their captain, who, it is said, wants to stay. Club sources claim that Fernandes is not available at any price.
His current contract is due to expire at the end of this season, though United have an option to extend it by an additional year. Fernandes last signed a new deal two years ago this month, which included a £56million release clause for overseas clubs, although that clause expired earlier in the summer.
The Athletic claims United insist no clubs have contacted them about their captain. Al-Hilal have previously approached Fernandes, who turned down the Saudi Pro League club last year.
He said late last year of that interest: “I could have left as many people do and said: ‘I want to leave, I don’t want to train, I just want to leave for €20million or €30million, so they pay me more on the other side’. But I never did that.
“I never felt in a position to do that, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same, but there comes 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 this, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision. I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely like the club.
“The conversation with the manager also made me stay. But, from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘If you leave, it’s not so bad for us’.
“It hurts me a lot. More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise about.
“I’m always available, and I always play – good or bad – I give my all. Then you see things around you, players who don’t value the club as much and don’t defend the club as much… that makes you sad.”
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Fernandes has since said earlier this summer: “Playing for Manchester United is always a special moment for everyone. At the same time, it brings a lot of responsibility with it.
“But I don’t think anyone comes to Manchester United thinking that we won’t have the responsibility to win again, to be at the top of Premier League, at the top of European football.
“Because the club’s history brings that responsibility. Regardless of the most recent years they were not at the level that the club was used to.
“I think everyone always believes that we can be the ones who are going to do this, the ones who are going to turn the page, the ones who are going to make it possible for United to fight on all fronts.
“And I think that has to be special for us players, to realise that we can be the main, let’s say, protagonists of this change of history for United to win again.”
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