During their training session together in Portugal before the new season, Bruno Fernandes amazed Declan Rice with his exceptional technique.
Fernandes and Rice had impressive campaigns for their clubs, Manchester United and West Ham United, respectively, last season.
Fernandes, the Portuguese maestro, is aiming for another prolific season at Old Trafford, while Rice, the England international, is reportedly nearing a move to Arsenal.
Interestingly, Manchester United had shown interest in signing Rice from West Ham, which would have potentially created a formidable midfield partnership with Fernandes under the guidance of manager Erik ten Hag.
Although they are not teammates, Fernandes and Rice spent some leisure time together in Portugal before their return to their respective clubs for pre-season.
A video capturing the moment shows Fernandes executing a remarkable volley that astounded Rice, who is seen engaging in playful banter with the Manchester United superstar.
Declan Rice’s reaction to Bruno Fernandes’ goal 😳🤣pic.twitter.com/Dm0d9owMv5
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) July 12, 2023
Naturally, the link-up between Fernandes and Rice sent social media wild.
One Twitter user joked: “I now understand why Rice to Arsenal delayed.”
A second tweeted: “Man United to snatch rice at the very last second. I will be there.”
A third added: “Bruno has the chance to do the craziest agent pull ever.”
A fourth said: “There is not a single midfielder in Arsenal team that can do that.”
Another commented: “You already know Bruno was dropping hints and having banter about joining.”
AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo, who spent time at Bayern Munich last season, also trained with Fernandes and Rice in Portugal.
It appears unlikely Fernandes and Rice will be club colleagues next season as the Gunners have reached an agreement with the Hammers.