Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has defended himself and his teammates after club co-owner Jim Ratcliffe suggested some players at the club were “overpaid” and “not good enough.”
Ratcliffe, who recently took a minority stake in United, praised Fernandes but pointed to costly signings such as Casemiro, Rasmus Højlund, and André Onana as examples of financial missteps made before his arrival.
Fernandes, fresh from scoring a hat-trick in United’s 4-1 Europa League win over Real Sociedad, dismissed the notion that players should be blamed for the contracts they sign.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things. No player likes being told they’re overpaid or not good enough,” Fernandes said. “But every contract is agreed by the club. It’s up to us to prove our worth.”
United’s Europa League campaign remains their only hope of silverware this season, with the club languishing in 13th place in the Premier League and eliminated from both domestic cup competitions.
The Portuguese midfielder also revealed he had an offer to leave Old Trafford last summer but chose to stay after discussions with the club and former manager Erik ten Hag.
“They told me I was a big part of the rebuild, and I believed we could be successful,” Fernandes said.
Despite being United’s standout performer with 15 goals this season, Fernandes has also faced criticism from former captain Roy Keane, who recently questioned his leadership qualities.
However, Fernandes insisted he respects Keane’s opinion and hopes to prove him wrong in his own way.
“I massively respect Roy. I try to be the best captain I can for my teammates, in my own way,” he said.
