Bruno Fernandes' four-word wish came true after Man Utd transfer exit confirmed

Daily Mirror

13 hours ago

Bruno Fernandes delivered a heartfelt message to former team-mate Donny van de Beek after he escaped his Manchester United nightmare by leaving the club last summer
Bruno Fernandes' wish for former Manchester United team-mate Donny van de Beek has come true, with the Dutchman saying he 'finally feels like a footballer again' after leaving the Red Devils.
Van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford in 2020 from Ajax in a £35million deal when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in charge. But he failed to set Old Trafford alight under the Norwegian, gradually losing confidence and form to the point where he couldn't even establish himself once his former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag took the reins.
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The midfielder made 62 appearances across his miserable four-year spell at the club, which also included unsuccessful loan moves to Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt as United sought to recover some of his transfer fee.
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The 28-year-old finally escaped his United nightmare by joining La Liga side Girona last summer in a deal worth a reported £420,000, which could rise to £7.6m.
It made him United's first high-profile departure of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era, after the arrivals of sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.
After Van de Beek confirmed his move to Girona, his former United captain Fernandes delivered a touching message on social media. Fernandes' four-word message read: "You deserve the best," along with a red heart.
The Portuguese, who joined in January before Van de Beek's arrival in the Premier League, will now be glad to know that Van de Beek is enjoying his football again in Spain. The former Netherlands international made 35 appearances for Girona this season, including seven in the Champions League, while scoring three goals and assisting two in all competitions.
Van de Beek opened up about rediscovering his form in December, telling Voetbal International:"My role was played out at Manchester United, so at the beginning of this year I wanted to make minutes elsewhere.
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"The choice for Germany seemed nice, and don't get me wrong, Eintracht Frankfurt is really a big and beautiful club, but I really was lost around there. I was a loan player for a few months and then it is very simple: then you just have to deliver from the first game and impress. But I just couldn't.
"I got that far, needed rhythm and a series of games, only that was simply not possible. The result was that I was going to drive myself crazy. I had to show what I could do in a competition, which made me do way too much and I got away from myself."
Turning his attention to Girona, he added: "I enjoy it again. The fun, enjoying the game. That is so important and I have missed that feeling for so long. I finally feel like a footballer again.
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"I think I've made more minutes this season than added up in the past four years. That says enough. The good feeling is back, I feel confidence again and the sacred fire in me has been fueled. Finally."
Fernandes had appeared to be nearing his own move away from United in recent weeks. Following the crushing Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, speculation grew that the playmaker was open to leaving United if a big offer came in for him this summer.
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Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal were said to have held progressive talks with his representatives, while Red Devils bosses were reportedly willing to cash in on their skipper, who turns 31 this year.
But it has since emerged that Fernandes rejected Al-Hilal's lucrative offer after mulling things over with his wife. Explaining his decision, Fernandes said: 'It was a very ambitious proposal. The president was a fantastic person. We never discussed the amount [initially]. With my agent? Of course.
'Then, I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career. She was someone who always supported me a lot.
'It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Joao 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.'
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