Bruno Fernandes has offered to leave Manchester United if his departure would help the club rebuild following their crushing Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
United’s 1-0 defeat in Bilbao – sealed by a Brennan Johnson strike – capped a dismal season for the club.
Manager Ruben Amorim, reeling from the result, said he would walk away without demanding compensation if the club no longer wanted him.
Now his captain has echoed that sentiment. At 30, Fernandes said he is ready to step aside, fully aware United face a squad overhaul amid financial pressure.
“I have always been honest. I've always said I will be here until the club says to me that it’s time to go,” Fernandes said.
“I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to the great days. On the day that the club thinks that I’m too much or it’s time to part ways – football is like this, you never know.
“But I've always said it and I keep my word. If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it is what it is – and football sometimes is like this.”
Fernandes has been United’s standout player this season but failed to make an impact against Spurs at San Mamés Stadium.
He said the defeat was a crushing blow.
“We wanted to win more than anything in this final,” Fernandes said. “It’s a very sad day because we’ve done some very good things in this competition until today.
“But today (Wednesday) was the day that mattered – the most important day of the competition. It was the day we could have been in the history of the Europa League, but it’s not like that. Football is cruel, and it’s been our turn to lose.”
The midfielder, who joined United in 2020, insisted his compatriot Amorim is still the right man to lead the club, despite a poor record since arriving at Old Trafford in November.
United have won just six league games under Amorim and sit 16th in the Premier League, facing their lowest finish since relegation in 1974.
“We (the players) just agreed that he’s the right man,” Fernandes said. “He has done a lot of good things. We know that the manager is judged by the results.
“Obviously we see more than that as players. We know, for everyone, it will be about him bringing back the positivity to the club.
“To try to bring the club back to fight for trophies – fight for the big trophies. And we all agree that he’s the right man.”
