Bruno: Word for Word. In full, what he said about Saudi.

sixdwarf

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Here is everything that Bruno said about the Saudi interest at a Portugal national team press conference. He was in midst of talks when playing the Europa League final whilst being tapped up. It is not as some think a ringing endorsement of United.

He said: "The president of Al-Hilal called me about a month ago [might explain his off performance in the Europa League final].
"He was asking about the possibility of me transferring there.
"There was a waiting period on my part to think about what my future would be.

"As I've always said I would be willing if Man Utd thought it was time to move on, I would be willing to do so.

"I spoke with Ruben Amorim who during this entire period kept bothering me a lot to ensure I wouldn't leave. I spoke to the club and the club told me they wouldn't be willing to sell me and that it would only happen if I wanted to leave but it wasn't a financial issue.

"On my part it was a very exciting proposal. The president talked to me and he was great - he was a spectacular person. We never discussed values, obviously, later on that came up with my agent, not directly with me. And I simply had to make a decision after talking with my wife, as well, and my family to understand what I really wanted for my future. That was the only question my wife asked was what my professional goals were and what I wanted to do in my career. At no point did she say yes or no or that it would be her decision. She has always been a person who supported me a lot in my decisions and she put my profession ahead of anything else.

"It wasn't an easy decision not even at the family level. There, Ruben Neves was present, and Joao Cancelo [Portuguese teammates] . My children are used to playing with their children in the national team space. They are two people with whom I have a great friendship.

"But I simply want to stay at the highest level, to keep playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. And I want to continue being happy doing what I love most, perhaps for better or worse. I am still passionate about this sport. But it's my way of seeing my life, my future, and I'm happy with my decision. "
 
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Presidents of clubs are allowed to call up players contracted to other clubs to ask them to join their club? Sounds a bit odd.
 
Presidents of clubs are allowed to call up players contracted to other clubs to ask them to join their club? Sounds a bit odd.
Very!!! And a few weeks before an important final.
 
Make them buy Onana or else we'll report them for tapping up our player.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.
 
Presidents of clubs are allowed to call up players contracted to other clubs to ask them to join their club? Sounds a bit odd.

Good point. Seems like it breaches some kind of employment law.

I think they should offer us £20m in compensation for the damages caused.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.

I think people are reading far too much into that. I took it was he wants to remain playing at the highest level, which is the Premier League. That’s an English league and England and Britain as a whole is located in Europe. It’s just not part of the European Union.
 
good on him. Every player saying no to the Saudis has my respect, especially when the offer is legitimately stupid money like in this case. Even when you're already rich, that's not easy to turn down.

That being said, I'm not all that ecstatic about him staying for a number of reasons (him being a questionable fit in midfield, the money that would have enabled us to fill some holes and so on), but it is what it is.
 
I've so far supported Ruben Amorim despite the god awful PL form and his obvious and absurd mistakes in Europa League final which cost us a European Cup and CL next season but if he insists on his formation and Bruno as a CM then he better make it work because he'd have no one to blame if it doesn't as it sounds like he is the one who persuaded Fernandes to stay.

Was it too hard to thank him for his services, take the £100m and build a better midfield/team without him? Not to mention what will happen with Mainoo's & Ugarte's development either. Bruno was ready to go if we say it's time to go looking to his words. This is a big opportunity missed.

I'm really curious where he's planning to play Bruno in his 3-4-2-1 and if he really thinks Bruno as a CM can work against good opposition. If he really believes then he is no better than ten Hag when it comes to delusion and stubbornness and completely deserves the sack.
 
Wants to play at the highest level and wanting to stay with us is 2 different things.
 
I'll never believe any of these so-called speeches from players. They only say what we want to hear. He went over to speak to the Arabs—if he didn’t want to go, he wouldn’t have flown over there. His wife probably moaned at him to death.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.

Not in the slightest. I don't see a major European team offering that amount of money to buy him at almost 31. And if they did, we should accept it. I think the "Amorim wanted him to stay" does heavy lifting here.
 
I've so far supported Ruben Amorim despite the god awful PL form and his obvious and absurd mistakes in Europa League final which cost us a European Cup and CL next season but if he insists on his formation and Bruno as a CM then he better make it work because he'd have no one to blame if it doesn't as it sounds like he is the one who persuaded Fernandes to stay.

Was it too hard to thank him for his services, take the £100m and build a better midfield/team without him? Not to mention what will happen with Mainoo's & Ugarte's development either. Bruno was ready to go if we say it's time to go looking to his words. This is a big opportunity missed.

I'm really curious where he's planning to play Bruno in his 3-4-2-1 and if he really thinks Bruno as a CM can work against good opposition. If he really believes then he is no better than ten Hag when it comes to delusion and stubbornness and completely deserves the sack.

It seems crazy to me to be annoyed at him staying because it’s to the detriment of two players who haven’t proven they’re even fit to lace his boots. If we saw them two in CM next season we’d be in big trouble. Mainoo has scope to improve but there’s absolutely no guarantee that he ever will.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.
Perhaps we’re overanalysing here. It might be a message of intention and positivity with United. and staying for Amorim’s rebuild.
 
So basically got tapped up about the time his performances fell off a cliff just weeks before a massive cup final. OK.
 
I've been critical of our owners but I like that they let Bruno decide and didn't force the issue

I think it's quite obvious the club would have been okay with him going for huge money, otherwise he wouldn't be chatting to them mid-season, but the manager obviously didn't agree, nor the player, and I like that they backed them both

(even though iI'm not certain it was the right choice)
 
Here is everything that Bruno said about the Saudi interest. He was in midst of talks when playing the Europa League final and it is not as some think a ringing endorsement of United.

He said: "The president of Al-Hilal called me about a month ago [might explain his off performance in the Europa League final].
"He was asking about the possibility of me transferring there.
"There was a waiting period on my part to think about what my future would be.

"As I've always said I would be willing if Man Utd thought it was time to move on, I would be willing to do so.

"I spoke with Ruben Amorim who during this entire period kept bothering me a lot to ensure I wouldn't leave. I spoke to the club and the club told me they wouldn't be willing to sell me and that it would only happen if I wanted to leave but it wasn't a financial issue.

"On my part it was a very exciting proposal. The president talked to me and he was great - he was a spectacular person. We never discussed values, obviously, later on that came up with my agent, not directly with me. And I simply had to make a decision after talking with my wife, as well, and my family to understand what I really wanted for my future. That was the only question my wife asked was what my professional goals were and what I wanted to do in my career. At no point did she say yes or no or that it would be her decision. She has always been a person who supported me a lot in my decisions and she put my profession ahead of anything else.

"It wasn't an easy decision not even at the family level. There, Ruben Neves was present, and Joao Cancelo [Portuguese teammates] . My children are used to playing with their children in the national team space. They are two people with whom I have a great friendship.

"But I simply want to stay at the highest level, to keep playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. And I want to continue being happy doing what I love most, perhaps for better or worse. I am still passionate about this sport. But it's my way of seeing my life, my future, and I'm happy with my decision. "
Diplomatic words. Meant for the Saudis to read too.
 
I've so far supported Ruben Amorim despite the god awful PL form and his obvious and absurd mistakes in Europa League final which cost us a European Cup and CL next season but if he insists on his formation and Bruno as a CM then he better make it work because he'd have no one to blame if it doesn't as it sounds like he is the one who persuaded Fernandes to stay.

Was it too hard to thank him for his services, take the £100m and build a better midfield/team without him? Not to mention what will happen with Mainoo's & Ugarte's development either. Bruno was ready to go if we say it's time to go looking to his words. This is a big opportunity missed.

I'm really curious where he's planning to play Bruno in his 3-4-2-1 and if he really thinks Bruno as a CM can work against good opposition. If he really believes then he is no better than ten Hag when it comes to delusion and stubbornness and completely deserves the sack.

I agree with this. Feels like we are setting up another season of trying to fit pieces in where they don't fit.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.
He's hardly going to say he's happy to stay in a burning shitehole.
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.
This is exactly how I’ve read it.

I don’t think he’s staying now
 
Anybody else slightly concerned by the ambiguity of 'highest level' and 'biggest competitions'. Biggest competition is the CL, which we're not in, and we haven't exactly been competitive in the league since we signed him. Maybe open to a European team? I hope not, but he doesn't actually say he's definitely staying at United.
Who hurt you?
 
Do people really think that he played poorly in the final because of this?
:lol: The excuses


Also, do people still complain about "tapping up"?

Does anyone seriously believe United don't speak to players without getting their club's permission first?

I feel like this thread is from 2005. I've genuinely not heard tapping up complaints in at least 15 years.
 
I've so far supported Ruben Amorim despite the god awful PL form and his obvious and absurd mistakes in Europa League final which cost us a European Cup and CL next season but if he insists on his formation and Bruno as a CM then he better make it work because he'd have no one to blame if it doesn't as it sounds like he is the one who persuaded Fernandes to stay.

Was it too hard to thank him for his services, take the £100m and build a better midfield/team without him? Not to mention what will happen with Mainoo's & Ugarte's development either. Bruno was ready to go if we say it's time to go looking to his words. This is a big opportunity missed.

I'm really curious where he's planning to play Bruno in his 3-4-2-1 and if he really thinks Bruno as a CM can work against good opposition. If he really believes then he is no better than ten Hag when it comes to delusion and stubbornness and completely deserves the sack.
This should be the least of our concerns, if those two can't displace an ageing Casemiro and a converted 10 then they have no business playing midfield for United.

I understand the club making it a Bruno decision, he has earned the right to go out on his own terms but for Amorim to insist he stay seems like naivety of the highest order.

I don't think he (Amorim that is) fully realizes how fecked up our window has become. It was clear that Sancho would sabotage a sale, Rashford is likely to do the same, only Antony and Garnacho will bring something. This takes Mbuemo off the table as Brentford won't stick around waiting for us to find buyers.

Our striker situation remains unresolved, midfield is a mess and the keeper is a disaster. How he didn't see this and the need for a huge fee but also fought to ensure Bruno stays is beyond me. Without massive changes in that squad he won't make it to November, another season thrown way through idiocy in the summer.
 
I am sure he had permission to speak to them. In a couple of interviews pre and post the Final he was cryptic about staying here.

Anyway, no big deal if they "tapped him". I am sure it's a standard practice through agents or directly.
 
OK, that should put an end to the speculation. Now let's sign a CF and further strengthen the squad so the guy can truly compete at the top level.
 
Decision made sense from a personal point I bet when factoring in the options. Top players/names like Bruno can play for a few more years, then assuming his fitness doesn't fall off a cliff, make the move to an elephant graveyard for a massive payday down the line and still keep generating top money.
 
Presidents of clubs are allowed to call up players contracted to other clubs to ask them to join their club? Sounds a bit odd.
Agreed it is odd, but if United does not complain, then it is not an issue, obviously no one in Europe in their right mind will complain about a Saudi club tapping up their player, due to the potential of getting a huge transfer fee, so clubs in Europe will probably stay quite if a Saudi club tapped up their player.

The above is conjecture from me, and for all we know, there is a chance Al-Hilal asked permission from United before they called Bruno.
 
Meh, tired of this saga already. 80m is money that we could have used. Bruno is a fine player as long as plays as a 10.