'They don't need the money!' - Bruno Fernandes denies Man Utd tried to force him to join Al-Hilal after Red Devils captain rejects lucrative move to Saudi Arabia

Fernandes was strongly linked with a move away from United this summer as Al-Hilal were reportedly preparing an eye-watering offer for the Portuguese midfielder. However, Fabrizio Romano reported that the 30-year-old eventually rejected the offer and decided to stay back at Old Trafford, as he wants to continue playing in Europe.

The former Saudi Pro League champions were ready to offer £200m ($269m) in salary over three years to Fernandes, and on top of that were ready to pay the Red Devils a £100 million ($135m) transfer fee. The United captain has now revealed that the English giants never forced him to complete the transfer, and manager Ruben Amorim played an important role in his final call.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Portuguese said: "There was an opportunity. The president called me and asked if I wanted to go there. They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach Amorim. He asked me not to go. Manchester United didn’t want to sell me. They don’t need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen."

Amorim's squad will reassemble in late July before heading back to Asia for the first part of their pre-season tour. Before that, the club will remain busy in the summer transfer window as they look to rebuild the squad after a nightmare 2024-25 campaign.