Manchester United midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, has expressed his disappointment at seeing Declan Rice join Arsenal.
Fernandes acknowledged that he felt ‘really sad’ about Manchester United’s failure to secure Declan Rice before his transfer to Arsenal.
United had been contenders to acquire Rice prior to his decision to move to Arsenal in a £105 million deal from West Ham in 2023.
Rice has emerged as one of Arsenal’s key players this season as Mikel Arteta’s team approaches the club’s first Premier League title since 2004, while they also have the opportunity for a double as they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30.
On the other hand, Fernandes has once again been a pivotal player for United this season, currently boasting 19 assists for the campaign, just one short of the all-time record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
Last week, Fernandes was awarded the Football Writers’ Association’s men’s Footballer of the Year award, narrowly surpassing Rice by just 28 votes.
In an interview with the FWA, Fernandes praised Rice and disclosed that he still maintains contact with the Arsenal midfielder after they trained together in Portugal three years ago.
“To be honest, I admire him [Rice] a lot, first of all as a person because I knew him from the Algarve when we were training together and everything,’ Fernandes stated in an interview with Joel Beya for the FWA.
“Of course, I was already aware of him from West Ham, and we all recognized the qualities he possessed. I have always believed that Rice was a player suited to play for Manchester United.
“I was uncertain if it was the right opportunity or chance for him to join Manchester United, but I have always thought he would be an ideal fit for our club, not only for the player he is but also for the person he is and the professionalism he demonstrated to me along with his personality.”
EPL: ‘I admire him a lot, sad Man United didn’t sign him’ – Fernandes on Arsenal star