Bruno Fernandes has confessed he was left gutted when Declan Rice chose to join Arsenal, insisting he believes the midfielder would have been an ideal signing for Manchester United. The former West Ham skipper had been strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford when the club were searching for a midfielder amid the prospect of Paul Pogba's departure in 2021.
Rice on United's Radar
Rice had featured on United's radar for quite some time, with Mirror Football reporting that the midfielder had quizzed United players about life at the club. Jesse Lingard was part of the England setup at the time, and it is understood that Rice spoke with both Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw about United.
Then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer later acknowledged that talks had taken place over signing Rice, describing him as a player he 'really liked.' Ultimately, a deal failed to come together and United went on to spend big on Raphael Varane.
Fernandes' Admission
Two years on, Rice completed his move to Arsenal for an initial £100m, rising by a further £5m in add-ons, making him the most expensive English player of 2023. Fernandes openly admitted he wished the England international had opted for Old Trafford over the Emirates. During an interview with Joel Beya, he said: "I've always said, Rice was a player to play for Man United, I was really sad when he chose to go Arsenal. I always thought he would be a perfect fit for our club."
Solskjaer's Admiration
Meanwhile, Solskjaer expressed strong admiration for Rice even years after leaving the club. During an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast, the Norwegian said: "Yeah, [there was interest] I really, really like him as a player. We discussed him a few times and I think we would have done well with him in midfield. I think his legs, covering the pitch. I think he improved a lot on his playmaking as well."
The interest in Rice emerged just a year after United signed Fernandes from Sporting CP for £47million - and the duo would have formed an ideal midfield partnership. Rice is widely considered one of Europe's elite midfielders capable of strengthening any team on the continent.
Mutual Respect
Although they don't share a dressing room, both players hold strong mutual respect and trained together three years ago during a summer camp in Portugal. Fernandes, who at the time postponed his return to Carrington following Portugal's Euro 2024 commitments, trained alongside Rice as part of a group that also featured Joao Cancelo and James Maddison at the Campus facility in the Algarve.
Footage from the session captured Rice embracing Fernandes after the Portuguese midfielder struck the post with a first-time volley during shooting practice. Fernandes later reposted a picture of the pair from the session, adding a handshake emoji and writing: "Was a pleasure to work with you."
Fernandes' Stellar Season
Fernandes claimed the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year award ahead of the Arsenal midfielder this season. However, the Portuguese star will now lock horns with Rice for the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Season accolade. Arsenal boast three names on the shortlist in Rice, Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya. Manchester City duo Antoine Semenyo and Erling Haaland also make the cut, with Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Brentford striker Igor Thiago rounding off the line-up.
Fernandes has racked up 21 assists (in all competitions) and eight goals in 32 Premier League appearances this season, and stands just one short of matching the record jointly held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry of 20 assists in a single Premier League season.
It has been yet another exceptional campaign for the United skipper, whose performances have soared since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January. He has also played a pivotal role in United's qualification for the Champions League.
