Bruno Fernandes has opened up on what he needs from Man United to convince him to extend his time at the club.
Fernandes, 31, has been a talismanic figure for the Red Devils since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in 2020.
He has continued to lead the way this season, with the Portuguese midfielder scoring eight goals and adding 16 assists in what has been an incredible individual campaign as United battle to qualify for the Champions League.
It comes after Fernandes almost departed last summer before he ultimately rejected a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal that would have been worth around £1million-a-week in wages on top of a £100m transfer fee.
The 31-year-old’s future remains a hot topic with just a year left on his contract, although United do have the option to extend that by a further 12 months.
And, while he didn’t want to speak specifically about his future in an interview with The Telegraph, Fernandes – who has won just two trophies at Old Trafford – hinted at what United must do if he is to remain at the club long-term.
‘I tell the club I want to compete,’ the United captain said. ‘Everyone that comes to Man United wants to win every trophy. No one thinks in coming to the club that we’re going to fight for one or two trophies in six years.
‘You want to fight for all of them. And what I said to the club every time that I spoke with them, what I want from the time I’m here, I want to compete. Because if I compete, I will be close to winning. If I don’t compete, there’s no chance I’m going to get close to anything.’
Fernandes insisted the fact United haven’t won the Premier League since 2013 is ‘not normal’ and said it’s ‘too long’ ago.
He also added that players join the club on the premise of its history, along with the desire – and expectation – of winning trophies.
However, he was keen to point out that there must be substance behind what the club says to him and expressed his hopes that better times are ahead.
‘What I always say to the club is: You can’t promise me that I’m going to win the Premier League. That’s impossible,’ he added.
‘But if you promise me that we’re going to be competitive and we’re going to be there at the end… that’s all I need to know. Because then it’s on me to become the best version of myself, to help everyone around to become the best version of themselves, to become the club we want to be.’
A key part of United’s future will revolve around who sits in the dugout as Michael Carrick continues to impress following the sacking of Ruben Amorim in January.
The former Red Devils midfielder has won seven of his 10 games in charge and there is increasing clamour for the former Middlesbrough manager to get the job on a more permanent basis having initially been appointed until the end of the season.
Fernandes has often praised Carrick throughout his tenure, but he was tight-lipped on whether their recent form means the club is in a better place to return to the top.
He said: ‘If we finish the way we want to finish, it’s going to look very good, but it’s still not the picture we want.
‘At the end of the day, it’s [about] what are we going to do for next season, to be the team we’ve been in this spell, for a full season? Because anyone can be good in spells. Being good in the whole season is much more difficult to do. And that’s something we haven’t done, at least since I’m here.’
United currently sit third in the Premier League, seven points clear of Chelsea in sixth place, with the top five guaranteed to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
They return to action on Monday night with a crunch clash against Leeds at Old Trafford, three months on from the corresponding fixture which proved to be the final game of Ruben Amorim’s tenure.
