The 31-year-old has been the best signing of the post-Alex Ferguson era and is set to make his 300th appearance for the Red Devils in Saturday's Premier League match against Brighton.
Fernandes has won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup since joining from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, scoring 100 goals along the way, but United have been some way off challenging for the title.
Last season was the nadir as Ruben Amorim’s side slumped home 15th and lost the Europa League final – humiliation that meant the 20-time league champions entered full rebuild mode over the summer.
Fernandes was offered an escape route as Al-Hilal came sniffing but he spurned a move to Saudi with unfinished business at Old Trafford having spoken to wife Ana.
"We always say we have an offer from Saudi because obviously wherever I have to go, they have to come," he said of his family. "They can choose not, but I’d prefer them to come.
"And obviously the first thing she said was 'have you achieved everything you wanted to achieve at the club?’ Because she knows that I haven’t.
"And when I talk about I haven’t fulfilled my dreams at the club, it comes a lot from what she said to me.
"And obviously I’m not sure, she’s not sure I’m going to make it (come true). But if I don’t try it, that’s for sure I won’t make it."
Fernandes’ dream is to win the Premier League and Champions League with United having turned down Al-Hilal in a summer that saw other clubs, from both Saudi and Europe, try to sign him.
But having spoken to Amorim and the club hierarchy, including chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox, it was clear his "answer wouldn’t change" from that point.
"The manager spoke with me," Fernandes said. "He said I was still part of the project. He wanted me to stay. The club said the same.
"I always said that if the club was like ‘Bruno, we want to cash in, you are 30 years old, we want to make some money, we don’t think you can be part of the future project’ or whatever, I would be like ‘OK, I have to find a solution for myself, whatever is best for me and my family, and I will leave’.
"But obviously that wasn’t the case. I felt that I was still part of the plan, that I could still help the club to achieve whatever was our aims. And that’s what made me stay."
United have to assess last weekend's matchwinner Harry Maguire and Mason Mount ahead of the clash with Brighton on Saturday evening.
The Red Devils welcome the Seagulls to Old Trafford fresh from securing back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time since the Portuguese coach arrived last November.
Maguire’s late header sealed a memorable 2-1 win against arch-rivals Liverpool – their first Anfield triumph since 2016 – but the defender could miss United’s return to action.
The defender is dealing with a knock, as is midfielder Mount having played the first 61 minutes last Sunday.
"The squad is fine, we have some doubts," head coach Amorim said.
"We had some issues during the week with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount. Knocks but nothing serious. We will see tomorrow. Licha [Lisandro Martinez] is out. The rest are ready for the game.
"I think it’s going to be, like always, a very difficult game. Brighton is a team that is really fun to watch.
"They are really good on the build-up, they are really strong on transitions, in every aspect of the game. They are doing well in set-pieces this season, so I think they are a team that is really complete.
"We need to be really smart and to face that game with a real focus on everything that we do because they are a very strong team."
Maguire will be desperate to prove his fitness and retain his place after last weekend’s high at Liverpool.
The 32-year-old defender has been derided in some quarters since joining from Leicester in 2019 for £80million but has produced numerous key contributions along the way.
Maguire is attracting admiring glances with his deal expiring at the end of the season, but Amorim’s focus is on building momentum rather than his contract situation.
"We are really happy with Harry," he said. "It’s not the time to talk about that because that gives the idea that we are thinking so far away. He is really important for us, but we need to focus on the next game."
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