Bruno Fernandes receives telling message from ex-Man Utd star after £300m snub

A former Manchester United star has reacted after Bruno Fernandes rejected a big-money move to Al-Hilal after the Saudi outfit made a staggering £300million offer

Bruno Fernandes has been praised by former Manchester United star Ben Foster for snubbing a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. The United skipper disclosed this week that he had rejected the chance to exit Old Trafford for Al-Hilal.

The decision came despite the Saudi Pro League club's willingness to fork out an eye-watering £300million package, which included £100m for United and a £200m contract for the Portuguese midfielder. The 30-year-old playmaker turned down the offer after stating his desire to maintain his career "at the highest level".

Ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster has now voiced his joy at Fernandes' decision to stay put, despite questioning his sanity with a tongue-in-cheek remark.

Sharing his thoughts via his Cycling GK Instagram account, the ex-Wrexham shot-stopper said: "I'm so happy about it, because it just goes to show that some footballers actually do it for the love of the game - it's not all about money."

"Not only that, we want to see the best players playing in the Premier League week in, week out, and Bruno Fernandes is one of those players."

Speaking directly to Fernandes, Foster said: "Bruno, I don't know whether you're a little bit mad or just madly in love with football, either way, I love it, mate. I'm all over it and looking forward to watching you playing in the Premier League next season."

Fernandes revealed at a press conference on Tuesday why he turned down a move to Al-Hilal as United plan for a rebuild under manager Ruben Amorim. Speaking while on international duty with Portugal, he said: "There was an opportunity. The [Al-Hilal] president called me and asked if I wanted to go there.

"They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach Amorim. He asked me not to go. Manchester United didn't want to sell me. They don't need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen.

"It [would have been] an easy move, even at a family level. I had João Cancelo there, my children are used to playing with him in the national team. We have a great friendship. But I want to maintain myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it."

After a disappointing season which saw United finish 15th in the Premier League, Amorim, who succeeded Erik Ten Hag last November, is aiming to revamp his squad. The club has already made one major signing after bringing in Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5million, while interest has also been shown in Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford.

Ex-United defender Gary Neville has lauded Fernandes' commitment to the club during a challenging period. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "He's so important. It would have been easy for him at the end of this season to say, 'Look, I'm done here'. This will endear him towards Manchester United fans even more.

"To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, 'No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things', I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character. The club needs people who are going to run through a brick wall for them."