Manchester United’s captain, Bruno Fernandes, has confirmed he has turned down a money-spinning move to Saudi Arabia because he wants to “stay at the highest level”. The 30-year-old midfielder has been the subject of speculation linking him with a £100m switch to Al-Hilal, with the Saudi Pro League side reportedly prepared to pay him £700,000 per week.

However, Fernandes confirmed he had rejected the chance to move after speaking to Ruben Amorim and his own family. “The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there,” Fernandes said, according to the Portuguese news outlet O Jogo. “I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.

“I spoke with Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke to the club, who said they weren’t willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave. From my side, it was a very ambitious proposal, the president was a fantastic person. I never talked about the money, it ended up coming up later, with my agent.

“I had to make the decision as a family and understand what I wanted for my future. That was the question my wife asked, what my professional goals would be. At no point did she say yes or no, she always supported me and put my professional side first. It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Rúben Neves, João Cancelo. My children are used to playing with theirs.

“But I simply want to stay at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most. I’m still very passionate about this sport. It’s my way of seeing football and I’m happy with my decision.”

As news of Fernandes’s decision circulated, the former United and England defender Gary Neville welcomed the reports as Amorim starts the process of reshaping his squad after a dismal season. Neville told Sky Sports: “It’s significant. To turn that money down at a point where Manchester United are at their lowest ebb and say, ‘No, I want to fight through this, I want to see it through the other side, I want to come out and achieve things,’ I think it says a lot about him as a person, as a character.”