Ruben Amorim says it was vital Bruno Fernandes stayed at Manchester United

Fernandes stayed at the club for the upcoming season. The Portuguese midfielder was linked with Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal.

Fernandes is reported to have received a huge offer from Al Hilal but he said he wants to play competitive football in Europe and thus decided to stay with the Old Trafford-based club.

Fernandes scored eight goals and provided 10 assists in 36 matches of the previous season in the Premier League. The midfielder once again proved his mettle as he scored a brace in a 2-1 preseason win over West Ham.

“It was so clear last season,” said Amorim. “You can see it in the assists, the goals. Not just that.

“I think now he has more players. I felt that on the tour. I felt that now there are more players to help them to lead the group. That is a good thing. But he’s our leader, so it’s really important. Not just on the field, but also off the field.”

Amorim gave the number 10 role to Fernandes alongside new signing Matheus Cunha against West Ham.

“It’s impossible to play all the positions,” said Amorim

“Last year I felt that sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up and then we missed Bruno near the box.

“He lives by example. He works really hard. Always available. Sometimes he plays with pain. The problem is sometimes he gets frustrated and sometimes he loses a little bit the focus of his job.

“Sometimes he wants to help so much his teammates that sometimes it’s not the best thing to do. Bruno has to wait for the ball in different situations. This kind of thing is a leader, but he needs help. And he’s going to have help.”

United will next take on Bournemouth on Wednesday.