Reports that Bruno Fernandes’ Manchester United contract contains an overseas-only release clause have intensified debate over the midfielder’s future at Old Trafford. The Daily Mail says the clause is set at £56.6 million ($75.7 million) and would apply only to clubs outside the Premier League.

The story followed a high-profile interview in which Fernandes said, “United did, in fact, want to sell him to Al Hilal but lacked the guts to tell him to his face.” That remark, alongside his admitted interest in playing in La Liga and Serie A, has prompted fresh speculation about potential moves abroad.

Despite Fernandes’s comments, public messaging from the club has been firm. According to Fabrizio Romano, those in charge at United are adamant Fernandes still has a place at Old Trafford, and the club made it clear they have no plans to sell the 31-year-old.

Transfer timing is a key factor. Sources in the report suggest any exit this January is unlikely, while a move in the summer remains possible. The player is expected to consider his future around the World Cup and could draw renewed interest from Saudi suitors. His openness about Spain and Italy could also encourage offers from clubs in those leagues, while a desire to return to Lisbon and Sporting before retirement has also been mentioned in coverage.

Ultimately, the decision appears to rest with Manchester United. The club are reportedly planning an expensive midfield overhaul and retain control over any sale. For now, Fernandes has repeatedly stressed his wish to stay so long as he is wanted, while also signalling he would accept a departure if the club decided to sell.

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.”