Fernandes was linked with a move away from Man Utd for much of the most recent transfer window, with Al Hilal reportedly willing to acquire him for around €100 million.
He ultimately stayed, but has now revealed that the directors at the club didn't want him to.
"In England, when a player turns 30, they think it’s time for a rebuild. Loyalty isn’t seen the same way as it used to be," he said.
"I could have left in this transfer window, I would have earned a lot more money, and a year ago I could have left and won many trophies this season, but I chose to stay - not just for family reasons, but because I genuinely love the club.
"From the club, it felt like ‘If you go, it’s not that bad for us.’ That hurts a bit. More than hurting, it makes me sad. I’m a player they can’t fault, I’m always available, I always give my best."
The midfielder says he's open to moving to Saudi Arabia in the future but prefers to stay put for the time being, and feels that United never ultimately accepted an offer for him as manager Ruben Amorim also wanted him to stay.
"I don’t look at it for the money; financially, I can’t complain, even though the difference with Saudi Arabia is huge," he said. "If I ever go play in Saudi Arabia, it won’t be for financial reasons - it’ll be because the lifestyle will change, my kids will have sunshine after six years of cold and rain in Manchester, and because I’d be playing in a league that’s growing.
"My passion and connection with the club were the same, but there comes a point when money matters more to them than you do. The club wanted me to go. I told the directors that - I think they didn’t have the courage to make that decision because the coach wanted me to stay.
"But if I had said I wanted to leave, even with the coach wanting me to stay, the club would have let me go."
Cristiano Ronaldo gave me advice, we talked about Saudi Arabia, he was the one who brought it up, but the decision was always mine," he added. "The move would have been easy, since Ruben Neves and (Joao) Cancelo are there with their kids, who know mine."