Amorim Wants Fernandes To Stay

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim wants to keep captain Bruno Fernandes at the club amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Fernandes’ contract runs to 2027 but the Portugal playmaker has been the subject of interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal, who are thought to be willing to offer a huge salary for the 30-year-old to move before next month’s Club World Cup.

Amorim knows he must sell players in order to fund an extensive summer squad rebuilding exercise and that situation will be even more acute if United fail to win the Europa League and secure qualification for next season’s Champions League.

“Our idea didn’t change,” he said. “We want to keep the best players – and Bruno is clearly one of the top players in the world. We want Bruno here.”

Fernandes has scored 19 goals and claimed 18 assists so far this season.

“It is easy to understand [his importance] – not just because of the numbers but the way he plays and the importance he has during his five years here,” Amorim added.

“It’s normal a lot of clubs want a player like Bruno. He is a leader and he’s the captain, so he’s really important. He is a top player, we need top players.”

United will be expected to reach a Europa League final against either Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt after their 3-0 semi-final first-leg win over Athletic Bilbao.

On the 133 occasions a side has won an away leg in a European match by three goals or more, that team has made it through 133 times.

Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to imagine United losing their advantage against an Athletic side who have travelled to England without three of their most effective attacking players – Inaki and Nico Williams, and Oihan Sancet.

However, last season they led Championship side Coventry by three goals 20 minutes from the end of their FA Cup semi-final and required the most slender of video assistant referee offside decisions to go their way to take the tie into a penalty shootout.

Three weeks ago, they led 2-0 against Lyon with 20 minutes left and found themselves 4-2 down in extra time against opponents reduced to 10 men before dragging themselves out of the mire.

“If you look at our season, anything is possible,” said Amorim. “We cannot say today what is going to happen.

“[With] some teams, the story is going to be like ‘this’ and [they] control the narrative. We cannot do that.

“Sometimes it is not which kind of team we will be tomorrow. Sometimes during the game we are one team, then something happens and we lose our mind a little bit.

“I feel we need to score to go to the next round. We will have to suffer a bit to go to the final.”

The uncertainty is part of the reason Amorim launched into his team following their 3-1 home defeat by Brighton in January, labelling them “maybe the worst” in the 137-year history of the club.

Amorim accepts he might have gone too far with his observation – but not by much.

“I think you have to see the quote in the moment and things can change but if you look to the Premier League, I think we are the worst team in terms of results,” he said.

“At the end of the season, we can be the worst team in Premier League history with a European title.

“We know this season was really disappointing for everybody. I felt that. I still feel this season was the worst, I don’t say in history but in the last 50 years?”

Bbc.com