Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has disclosed that his wife convinced him to turn down a mouth-watering £200m deal from Saudi club Al Hilal.
The Saudi club are said to have tabled a three-year contract, and were ready to bid in the region of £100m for the midfielder.
While on international duty with his national team, the 30-year-old addressed the links, revealing that he thought long and hard about the oppurtunity before ultimately concluding – with the help of his wife Ana Pinho, that he had more to give in a top European league.
‘There was that possibility, the president of Al Hilal called me a month ago to ask,’ said Fernandes. ‘There was a waiting period on my part to think about what the future would hold. I would be open to it, if Manchester United felt it was my time.
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‘I spoke with Mr Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke with the club, which wasn’t willing to sell, only if I truly wanted to leave.
‘We never talked about money; that was all handled by my agent, not me.I spoke with my family to understand if that was what I wanted for my future.
‘It was actually my wife who asked me — I never said yes or no. She put my professional priorities ahead of everything else. It would have been an easy move. I had Ruben Neves and Joao Cancelo there, two people I have a great friendship with.
‘But I want to stay at the highest level, play in big competitions, because I still feel capable. I want to keep being happy, I’m still very passionate about this sport, and I’m happy with my decision.’
