Bruno Fernandes makes feelings clear on player axed by Man Utd

After Manchester United's bore draw with Manchester City, Bruno Fernandes made his thoughts on one former Red Devil clear with a post on social media.

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Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes made his thoughts on one former Red Devil clear on Instagram (Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)

Bruno Fernandes has shown his unwavering support for David de Gea, despite the former Manchester United shot-stopper's ruthless dismissal from the squad. De Gea, now 34, joined Fiorentina last summer after a year of uncertainty without a club. His lengthy tenure at United was abruptly halted in 2023 when Erik ten Hag decided to replace him with Andre Onana, who is yet to hit the same consistent and high heights of his predecessor.

Over the weekend, De Gea reminded everyone what United was missing with an exceptional close-range save in Fiorentina's 2-2 Serie A draw against AC Milan. Fernandes was clearly paying attention as he shared a clip of the save on his Instagram story, accompanied by a De Gea-themed sticker. The post didn't have a caption, but it's clear that Fernandes still ranks his ex-colleague highly.

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The duo played together for three-and-a-half seasons at Old Trafford, although De Gea's best form for the club was arguably before Fernandes' arrival in 2020. The Spanish international joined the Red Devils in 2011 and was the club's first choice under a succession of managers, including Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Ralf Rangnick.

However, the landscape shifted when Ten Hag assumed control in 2022. Prioritising ball-playing skills and distribution from the back, the Dutchman turned to Onana, a player he trusted from his Ajax days.

A deal worth £47.2m for Onana in 2023 led to De Gea being released from the club after a 12-year reign at United. In October last year, De Gea appeared to have a huge dig at Ten Hag.

He seemingly threw shade at the Dutchman following the latter's dismissal from United, posting a pinched fingers emoji just hours after Ten Hag's sacking was announced.

A screen shot of Bruno Fernandes' Instagram story

Fernandes re-posted the video of De Gea's save with a sticker of his ex-colleague (Image: BrunoFernandes8 - Instagram)

With 545 matches to his name, De Gea sits in the ranks of Old Trafford's most seasoned players, boasting more appearances than any other goalkeeper in the club's storied history. Fernandes and De Gea share a unique bond both on and off the field.

Just last month, De Gea playfully contested Fernandes' landmark stat of achieving 50 Premier League assists, prodding that it should actually be 49, as one of those assists - a superb Edinson Cavani strike from distance against Fulham in the 2020/21 campaign - might not have involved Fernandes after all.

The goal followed a De Gea clearance that Fernandes seemed to touch forward, earning the assist, but the replay cast doubt, prompting De Gea's teasing comment stating: "49 assists! This is mine. Ask him," with a laughing emoji, on social media platform X. De Gea won one Premier League title, the Europa League, the FA Cup and two League Cups throughout his time at Old Trafford.

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