Bruno Fernandes has taken issue with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments. (Image: THE OVERLAP/YOUTUBE)
captain has publicly taken issue with the club’s part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe spouting that some of his team-mates are “not good enough” and “overpaid”. And the Portuguese maestro has opened up about an offer to leave Old Trafford before he committed his future until 2027 last summer.
On Monday, Sir Jim spoke candidly with on The Overlap, addressing several issues, including poor recruitment and the fact that United will be paying £89million in transfer instalments this summer. The INEOS kingpin name-dropped Andre Onana, Casemiro, Antony, Jadon Sancho and as players for whom United are still settling up. He distanced his new-look hierarchy from the signings that came before their tenure and suggested that those named were among the stars who don’t have a future under .
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These are all things from the past. Whether we like it or not, we’ve inherited those things and have to sort that out. It takes time for us to move away from the past into a new place in the future,” Sir Jim said.
He added: “Some are not good enough, and some probably are overpaid, but for us to mould the squad that we are fully responsible for and accountable for will take time.
“We’ve got this period of transformation where we move from the past to the future.”
Sir Jim showered Fernandes with praise in the same breath, labelling the United skipper as a “fantastic footballer”.
However, the 30-year-old midfielder wasn’t in a position to thank him for his comments, given they followed a damning onslaught on other members of the dressing room.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things, obviously,” Fernandes explained after scoring a hat-trick against Real Sociedad to fire United into the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday.
Bruno Fernandes is still delivering for Man Utd. (Image: Getty)
“I don’t think any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever.
“Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract, and it’s about proving that you can be important to the club.
“We can’t relax at this club. There’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media. You need to realise that sometimes you must put your focus on your game, trying to improve yourself.”
Fernandes penned a contract extension until 2027 in the summer, ending speculation surrounding his future after United slumped to an eighth-place finish in the Premier League.
And the Red Devils’ No. 8 admits that he considered walking away due to an offer on the table, which sparks uncertainty about the upcoming transfer window after another disastrous season in M16.
He said: “I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave. We talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying.
“They said what they wanted from me. I asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not. I also spoke at the time with [Erik] ten Hag.
“He was very clear with me; the club were very clear with me; they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild that they want to do in a different way.
“I heard what they had to tell me. I thought that we could be successful. Unfortunately, we didn’t start the season very well.
“Erik had to lose his job by the results we had and the performance we had, but the fault was on everyone and everyone, together with the manager.
“Now we are in a different moment with a new manager who thinks in a different way and has a different way of playing. I’m still very happy at the club.”