Ruben Neves says he would welcome Portugal team-mate Bruno Fernandes at Al-Hilal with open arms this summer.
Fernandes was once again United’s shining light across an otherwise wretched season, with the 30-year-old midfielder notching 19 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances for the club.
Though it is unlikely to provide much consolation, Fernandes went on to win the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award by a landslide, despite captaining the club to their lowest-ever points total in the Premier League.
Speculation has been mounting that Fernandes could be set for a change of scenery after five-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, despite Ruben Amorim repeatedly underlining his fellow countryman’s importance to his project.
Widespread reports claim Al-Hilal are looking to wrap up a stunning deal for Fernandes before their Club World Cup campaign gets underway in a fortnight’s time.
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The Saudi Pro League outfit are believed to be readying a £100million bid for Fernandes and have intimated they would be prepared to triple the Portuguese’s current salary at the Theatre of Dreams.
‘I recommend all the players in the national team, of course,’ Neves, formerly of Wolves, said when asked about the prospect of Fernandes joining him at Al-Hilal.
‘Fortunately, Portugal have produced a lot of talent and continues to do so.
We are a lucky country in that respect. We are also very hard-working. A very small country, but one that has produced excellent players.
‘Just yesterday we saw four of our players – Goncalo Ramos, Joao Neves, Nuno Mendes and Vitinha – lift the Champions League. It is an excellent sign for Portugal.
‘I would like to have any player from the national team in my side.’
Fernandes is said to be giving ‘serious considering’ to the prospect of quitting United and initial discussions have taken place between the player’s representatives and Al-Hilal.
And while Fernandes is yet to provide any assurances over his future, Amorim remains hopeful that his compatriot will not have his head turned by the extraordinary riches on offer in Saudi Arabia.
‘I think he wants to stay,’ Amorim told reporters during United’s post-season tour of Asia.
‘He’s really young, he’s really good and he needs to be in the best league in the world.
‘Of course, I’m the manager, I’m the coach, but sometimes it is the decision of the player.
‘I talk with him and I explain things and I just have that feeling: when you talk to someone you have that feeling that they want to stay.
‘Sometimes, in a lot of games this season, he was frustrated, but he knows what we are doing, so the feeling that I have every time I speak with him is that he wants to continue, for sure, with Manchester United, but you never know.’
Asked whether United can afford to turn down the money that Al-Hilal are willing to pay for Fernandes, Amorim replied: ‘Yes, we can find another way to earn money.’
Fernandes’ current contract with the Red Devils runs through to June 2027.
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