In a second excerpt from the same interview released by Canal 11 (via Maisfutebol), Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes set out a clear list of potential destinations while reflecting on his relationship with the club. Fernandes said he had been affected by recent events at Old Trafford, telling reporters he felt “hurt” and “sad” by the club’s actions.

On his future he was candid. “I want to stay at Man Utd as long as I feel wanted,” he said. He added that playing in Spain would appeal and that Italy remains on his list of possibilities: “I would like to experience the Spanish league and fight for major titles in Italy. I have many connections with Italy, my daughter was born there.”

Fernandes traced those Italian ties back to his teenage years. At 17 he moved to Novara after being passed over by the youth systems of Portugal’s biggest clubs. He admitted he was so homesick he nearly returned home until his then-girlfriend Ana, now his wife, persuaded him to stay and commit to his career.

After one season at Novara he moved on to Udinese. Across spells with Udinese and Sampdoria, Fernandes made 119 Serie A appearances but never finished higher than 10th in the table.

The interview also revisited previously stated openness to alternative moves. “If one day I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I’ll play in Saudi Arabia,” he said. At the same time Fernandes did not close the door on a return to his native country: “I’ve already thought about returning to Portugal,” he revealed.

On the subject of Sporting, the club where he began his senior career, Fernandes was measured: “Out of affection and respect, my first choice would be Sporting. If I were to be happy, it would be with Sporting. But I don’t want to spoil the image I have. Even for family reasons, I’d like to return to Portugal. But I don’t want to drag things out, I want to add something.”

The interview will likely intensify speculation about his next steps, with Spain, Italy and a return to Portugal all explicitly on the table.

Bruno Fernandes delivered a withering assessment of Manchester United’s leadership after insisting the club’s directors wanted him sold last summer but “did not have the courage” to complete the deal. The captain said the only reason he remained at Old Trafford was the backing of head coach Rúben Amorim, whose admiration for the playmaker is encapsulated in a declared transfer aim: “We need more Brunos.”

Fernandes told Canal 11, a report relayed by Maisfutebol, that he could have engineered an exit in the same manner as other players. “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 €20 or €30 million, so that they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did,” he said.

He added: “I never felt in a position to do it, because I thought the empathy and affection that I had for the club were the same. But it comes to a point where, for them, money is more important than anything. The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head. I said that to the directors, but I think they did not have the courage to make this decision, because the coach wanted me. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go.”

The timing of the dispute coincided with reports that Al Hilal offered a £100 million fee for the midfielder, a sum that would have helped United rebuild after a season in which the club failed to qualify for any European competition. United ultimately kept Fernandes and spent around £200 million on a new frontline, though the squad still requires further reinforcements in midfield and defence.

Fernandes spoke candidly about his standing inside the club: “As long as you don’t win trophies, you’re not valued as much, regardless of the club and league you’re in,” and “The question of loyalty is not seen as before.” He said his decision to remain was influenced by family and the coach: “I decided [to stay], also because of the family issue, but for genuinely liking the club.”

He confirmed ongoing interest from Saudi Arabia, recalling contact from Al Hilal and figures connected to Jorge Jesus and Rúben Neves: “The president of Al Hilal spoke to me, he called me directly,” and “Rúben Neves sent me a message saying he wanted to talk to me.” On the emotional toll, he concluded: “I do my best. Then you see things around you, players who don’t value the club so much and don’t defend the club so much … that makes you sad.”

Ruben Amorim moved to deflect attention from Manchester United’s shape and instead highlighted a mental issue he believes is driving their inconsistent results.

After a chaotic fixture at Old Trafford that prompted widespread discussion about systems, Amorim gave little away. “That is for you to discuss, not me,” he smiled when quizzed by befuddled journalists in his postmatch press conference. He added: “I will say the same thing, you can play with the same players it looks like one thing [and] is another thing,” he cryptically added before addressing the reports which had filtered through the press ahead of Monday’s game. “I know that you guys know that I trained this week the back four—I don’t know how [you know]—but that is a good thing for you guys to discuss.”

Amad Diallo offered a player’s perspective on the club website, stressing adaptability. “I think it depends on the opponent. We work depending on the opponent, when sometimes we play as a 4-4-2, sometimes we play as a 3-4-3, sometimes also we play 4-3-3, maybe people outside don’t see. As a team, we can change. “But the system doesn’t matter for us,” was the key message from Amad. One which Amorim shared.

Amorim underlined the finer points that, in his view, are costing points. “We are not winning games sometimes in the details not because it’s a back four, back three, back five,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “It’s the details that we need to work, understand the momentum of the game. You need to be more clinical, because today against a very good team we create so many chances to win the game.”

A more urgent issue is a pattern of conceding clustered goals. In five matches this season the opposition scored twice within 11 minutes or less: Grimsby (22’, 30’), Burnley (55’, 66’), Nottingham Forest (48’, 50’), Tottenham (84’, 90’+1) and Bournemouth (46’, 52’). After Bournemouth’s quick double Amorim said: “We lost the concentration and they scored two goals”.

Tactical changes against Bournemouth were limited, but the manager acknowledged upcoming selection challenges. Amad and Bryan Mbeumo have played their final matches before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations, and Noussair Mazraoui has already joined up with Morocco. “That is the fun part of being a manager—you will try to find solutions with the players that we have,” he grinned. “After the last season, I think we are ready to cope with whatever they present in front of us. ]