Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes said he was ‘really sad’ when Declan Rice chose to go to Arsenal and not join Manchester United.
Rice has been a major force behind Arsenal’s improved league performances since he joined the club in 2023, with the club now on the brink of the Premier League title and in the Champions League final.
Before he joined Mikel Arteta‘s men though, Rice was the subject of interest from several clubs across Europe and the Premier League in particular and Fernandes wanted him to join him at Old Trafford.
Speaking on JoelBeyaTV’s Youtube channel, the Manchester United captain said: “To be honest, I admire him a lot, first of all as a person, because I know him from the Algarve when we were training together and everything.
“Obviously, I knew him already from West Ham and we all knew the qualities he had and I have always said that I thought Rice was a player to play for Man United.
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“I was really sad when he chose to go to Arsenal, I don’t know if there was the opportunity or the chance to come to Manchester United, but I always thought that he would be the perfect fit for our club.
“Not just for the player he is but for the person he is, for the professional, he showed me that he is in for his personality and I think what he has been doing this season is a different position, it is a different style of play.
“He is a player that does not need to get in this position, he does not need to assist as much, he does not need to score as much, because he demands different things.
“The way Arsenal play is different from the way we play, so we can’t compare the players but what we can say is that he has been one of the standout players from the Premier League this season.”
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Fernandes beat Rice to the Football Writers Player of the Year award after his league-leading 19 assists this season.
He has two more matches to join Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne on 20 assists or to overtake them and set a new Premier League record.
Fernandes admits he was delighted to receive the award but added that Rice was also a worthy recipient.
“As I said before, I am very happy I won it [the FWA Player of the Year award] but if Declan had won this award, it would have been deserved too,” he explained.
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“I don’t think he is the best player or whatever in the league, it is just, in a season where you have to choose between players and obviously numbers make a lot of weight in the decision.
“I think I had a brilliant season and I could add that to my game, obviously for Dec it is more difficult for him to get that because he plays a little bit deeper.
“And still, I think he is an amazing player and if he got this award, I would have messaged him and said congratulations, as I did when he got into the final of the Champions League.”
