Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes would not rule out a move to Brazil at some point in his career because the leagues are “very interesting” to him.
The Red Devils signed the Portugal international from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 for an initial fee of €55 million, with an additional €25 million available in add-ons.
Fernandes, who was chastised for his performance against Tottenham on Saturday, has had a big effect at Old Trafford, scoring 64 goals and assisting 54 times in 187 appearances in all competitions.
There is no possibility Fernandes will leave Manchester United in the near future, but the Portuguese midfielder has indicated interest in the Brazilian divisions and will not rule out a future move there.
“Whenever I can, I follow it,” Fernandes told ESPN Brasil, “because I find Brazilian football attractive, electric football, with a lot of quality, joy, and very one-on-one.”
“It’s all football.” And I believe that, with the coaches in place, not only the Portuguese, but also the Brazilians, are progressing tactically.
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“I don’t enjoy talking about the distant future, but as I have stated. Football is appealing and intriguing. The only problem is that the trips in Brazil are really long (laughs).
“There are many competitions, many clubs that compete in the Libertadores and Sudamericana, both of which are very good competitions.” I’m not saying no because Brazilian football is incredibly appealing, and you never know what the future holds.”
HJK Helsinki forward Hassane Bande turned down a move to Manchester United early in his career in order to join the Eredivisie giants.
After scoring 11 goals in 25 league games for Mechelen in 2018, Bande was linked to some of Europe’s best teams, including Manchester United, but ultimately chose to join Ajax in a €8.25 million transfer.
A catastrophic leg injury forced him to miss 65 Ajax matches, with the Burkina Faso international missing over a year.
On his return, he clashed with Erik ten Hag and was quickly relegated to the Under-21s, with the Dutchman sending him out on loan before eventually joining Amiens in 2022.
He has now arrived at HJK Helsinki in his prime years, and Bande has explained why he turned down Manchester United for Ajax.
“I still had a lot to learn and knew that in Amsterdam I would get more opportunities than at a top club like United,” Bande told Voetbal International.
Bande stated about his relationship with current Manchester United manager Ten Hag, “His English wasn’t that good yet, and neither was mine.” That was an issue.
“It was difficult to accept (the injury).” As a newcomer, I wanted to establish myself. I hadn’t even played a single official minute.”