HONG KONG :Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim does not believe Bruno Fernandes has played his last game for the team, saying after Friday’s 3-1 win over Hong Kong in a friendly that he had a feeling his captain planned to stay.
The game at Hong Kong Stadium was played amid swirling talk that Saudi Pro-League club Al Hilal are prepared to splash out 100 million pounds ($134.73 million) for the Portuguese midfielder.
Asked at a press conference if it was Fernandes’ last game in a United shirt, Amorim said: “I don’t think so. I don’t know for sure. I think he wants to stay. He is saying no to a lot of things.
“The club can find other ways to make money. The feeling I get is that he wants to continue for sure with Man United, you never know.”
Fernandes had suggested after the season’s final game that he could be sold to balance the books.
Amorim acknowledged the 30-year-old player was “so frustrated” in many games in a horrible season where they finished 15th, their worst Premier League campaign.
“But he knows what we are doing,” Amorim said. “Of course, I’m the manager. I’m the coach, but sometimes it’s a decision of the player. But of course I talk with him, I explain things and I just have that feeling when I talk to someone, you have the feeling if he wants to stay.”
United trailed at halftime on Friday after a 19th-minute goal from Juninho, but Chido Obi scored shortly after the break and in the 82nd minute. Ayden Heaven struck in the 94th minute.
The victory at least salvaged something positive after United had been booed for their performance in a 1-0 loss to ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia.
They were also ridiculed for an open-top bus parade in Kuala Lumpur.
Amorim still deemed the tour a success.
“We have a clear idea of what we want. Of course we are a little bit limited, we cannot do everything in one summer, but we have a clear picture of what we want,” he said.
($1 = 0.7422 pounds)
