18/12/2025

SPORTS THURSDAY | DEC 18, 2025

30

Unloved? Fernandes claims United wanted him to move to Saudi Arabia last year

Ű BY CHRIS WILSON

train, I just want to leave for €20 million (RM100m) or €30 million (RM150m), so they pay me more on the other side.’ But I never did that. “I never felt in a position to do that, because I felt that the empathy and affection I had for the club were the same,” he added. United declined to comment on the interview, but it is understood that they do not agree with the captain’s version of events. Fernandes had previously stated that he “felt that I was still part of the plan”. “The manager spoke with me. He said I was still part of the project. He wanted me to stay. The club said the same,” said the 31-year-old in October. “I always said that if the club was like ‘Bruno, we want to cash in, you are 30 years old. We want to make some money. “We don’t think you can be part of the future project’ or whatever, I would be like, ‘OK, I have to find a solution for myself, whatever is best for me and my family’ and I will leave. Obviously, that wasn’t the case,” he added at the time. – The Independent

M ANCHESTER UNITED captain Bruno Fernandes has claimed that the club “wanted me to go” after Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal reportedly made a £100 million (RM580m) offer for the midfielder last summer. The deal would have seen Fernandes play for the Saudi team in last year’s Club World Cup, and while the Portuguese could have earned up to £700,000 (RM4m) per week, he rejected it after holding positive talks with manager Ruben Amorim. However, Fernandes has revealed that he felt the club wanted him to make the move, explaining that “it gets to a point where, for them, money is

Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes looks dejected during a Premier League match at Old Trafford recently. – REUTERSPIC

6062/2025

17/12/2025 (WED)

5157 0340 5222

Draw Date: 17/12/25 (Wed)

Draw No: 6009/25 Venue: WISMA GENTING, KL

5452 1161 4878 9085 5583

9584 0876 6206 2128 5976

9816 0651 7479 9329 6648

1553 4396 2528 2967 5467

1973 0063 2946

2,750,887.28

8262+ 2873 3542+ 5295 7077+ 9992 5663+ 8478 6950+ 9251

5820+ 1986 6370+ 4826 8386+ 6497 2227+ 5796 1161 + 7091

5222 5222 0340

5157 5157 0340

5157 0340 5157

5222 5222 0340

136,524.96

0

RM17,126,764.50

good or bad. I give my all,” he explained. “The club wanted me to go, I have that in my head. I told the directors this, but I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision. If I had said I wanted to leave, they would have let me go,” he added. Fernandes revealed that he spoke to “the president of Al Hilal” directly though he was quick to highlight that money “was never what guided me”, and that he still holds a great deal of affection for his current club. “I can’t complain, I’m very well paid, but obviously the difference is huge. That was never what guided me. If one day I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I’ll play in Saudi Arabia. “I could have left like many people do and said: ‘I want to leave, I don’t want to The hosts nearly produced an immediate response, with Salifo Caropitche unleashing a fierce drive from distance, but Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen – who was playing his first game for Barca since May – reacted superbly to tip the effort over the bar, preserving his side’s slender lead. Guadalajara’s hopes were extinguished in the dying moments when Lamine Yamal played a sublime through-ball into the path of Rashford. The English forward showed great composure, wrong-footing keeper Dani Vicente with a quick cut to his left before tapping the ball into the empty net to wrap up the result for Barcelona. “These are tricky matches; they come out with everything they’ve got and we have to do the same,” Cubarsi told TVE . “In the second half, we picked up the pace and moved them from side to side to tire them out. As the minutes passed, they grew tired, and that was the key point. They played spectacularly well.” – Reuters

more important than anything”. “I could have left in the last transfer window, I would have earned much more money, I was going to leave a season ago – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. “I decided to stay, also because of family reasons, but because I genuinely love the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11 , a channel owned by the Portuguese Football Federation. “The conversation with the manager also made me stay. But from the club’s side, I felt a bit like, ‘if you leave, it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit. “More than hurting, it makes me sad because I’m a player who has nothing to criticise. I’m always available, I always play, LATE strikes from Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory for Barcelona against third-tier side Guadalajara yesterday, sending the Catalans through to the last 16 of the Copa del Rey. Barcelona laboured for much of the match at the Pedro Escartin stadium, holding over 80% of possession but struggling to break down a disciplined five man Guadalajara defence. The home side posed a constant threat on the counter-attack and frustrated the European heavyweights for long stretches. Barcelona coach Hansi Flick introduced regular starters Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde, Jules Kounde, and Pedri from the bench in the second half, seeking a breakthrough. The changes finally paid dividends in the 77th minute when Frenkie de Jong whipped in a cross from the right and defender Christensen rose highest to meet the delivery, with his header deflecting off Guadalajara’s Julio Martinez before nestling in the net.

1973+0063 1973+ 2946 0063+ 2946

0063+ 1973 2946+ 1973 2946+0063

5157 0340 5222 DRAGON

RM163,294.50

RM211,388.80

201 973 + MONKEY

8 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2

RM680,000.00

370 063 + DOG

1 0 7 8 8 9 9 2 2 6

RM783,339.00

802 946 + DRAGON

Christensen, Rashford on target for Barca

178 262 812 873 265 820 961 986 913 542 665 295 026 370 044 826 807 077 029 992 928 386 396 497 065 663 148 478 452 227 445 796 126 950 819 251 881 161 327 091

3 1 7 4 0 8 1 7 4 0 8 7 4 0 8 4 0 8

3 1 7 4 0 3 1 7 4 3 1 7 3 1

0 8

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973 063 946

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RM783,206.60 973 + 063 + 946 063 + 946 + 973 973 + 946 + 063 946 + 973 + 063 063 + 973 + 946 946 + 063 + 973

5,365,416.69

15 16 23 32 42 45 12

12,410,938.48

277,109.27

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