Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed details of talks he held with club bosses that ultimately convinced him to put pen to paper on a new contract.
Last week, United officially confirmed that Fernandes had signed a new deal to extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2027.
There is also the option of an extra 12 months.
The Portugal international granted an interview to ESPN and relayed that he had “concrete proposals” to leave United this summer but ultimately, he was convinced to stay by the club’s ambitions to challenge for the biggest trophies and competitions.
Fernandes sat down with club media and shed some more light on the conversations between him and the higher-ups.
The playmaker said, “The club knew that I want to compete with the best teams. They knew that we needed to improve the team. And I think that we’re doing that.”
“Obviously, I said to them: ‘I don’t need you to promise me that we’re going to win the league.’ Because no-one can promise that. But at least that we will have a team to compete and be competitive through the season, to try to achieve silverware and to compete in the highest levels.”
“I think the club is doing that. It’s trying to bring people in to get more players with quality in the team; to get more competitive, [so everyone is] fighting for your place.”
“But my first choice was always to stay at the club. It was not even demands, but the things that I wanted to see: the club going forward, [so] I could see a future on that. To be honest, I look now and I see that the club is making an effort for that.”
On the changes currently taking place at United following the completion of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s partial investment earlier this year, the skipper insisted, “When there’s a change, it’s a different mood and it’s really nice. At the beginning, it’s always the best part, because you get to know each other, there are new ways of working.”
“But then we have to get this going into the season and understand that it’s going to get to a point that’s repetitive, but we need to keep the same enthusiasm that we had at the beginning.”
Fernandes opened up on his special relationship with Darren Fletcher, who he tries to talk to and learn from on a daily basis.
According to Fernandes, Fletcher told him that he deserved to be at the club and such heartwarming remarks always touch him as Fletcher was part of one of United’s most successful periods.
On his time so far at United, Fernandes added, “When I joined, it was a dream come true. I think everyone knows that it was my dream to play in the Premier League for United. I had the chance to put that together. I wanted to play in the Premier League, and my favourite club was United. Being lucky enough to do both, it’s something unbelievable.”
“Obviously, my love for the club hasn’t changed. It has grown. Because you get to know the city, you get to know the fans, and you get to know how the people live here. How the way they approach the day-by-day; the way they approach the game-day. It’s different from every country.”
The 29-year-old remarked that he and his wife both consider Manchester their home.
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