Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is reportedly being encouraged to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal by a former Premier League player already at the club. Fernandes` agent, Miguel Pinho, held discussions last week regarding a potentially highly lucrative transfer.
Al-Hilal is reportedly confident they can acquire the Portuguese midfielder from Manchester United for a fee of £100 million. They are said to be ready to offer Fernandes a tax-free contract worth £200 million over three years. Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims the Saudi club views Fernandes as their “top target” and is prepared to “do whatever it takes” to complete the signing.
Negotiations are expected to continue this week involving Al-Hilal, Manchester United, and the player`s representatives. Reports suggest Fernandes is “seriously considering” the prospect of leaving Old Trafford.
A move to the Riyadh-based team would see Fernandes link up with former Premier League figures such as Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Kalidou Koulibaly. His compatriot, Ruben Neves, who joined Al-Hilal from Wolves for £47 million in 2023 and reportedly earns £15.6 million annually in Saudi Arabia, has expressed his desire for Fernandes to join him.
Speaking to O Jogo about potentially playing alongside Fernandes, Neves stated, “I recommend any player who is in the national team [to come here]… We have a lot of talent… A small country, but with excellent players… I would like to have any player from the national team in my team.”
These comments come shortly after Fernandes was photographed having dinner with Joao Cancelo, leading fans to speculate that the former Manchester City player might be acting as an unofficial “agent” to facilitate a move to Al-Hilal.
When asked if a recent post-season friendly might signal Fernandes` departure from Man Utd, Sporting manager Ruben Amorim commented, “I don`t know for sure, nobody knows, but I don`t think so.” He added that Fernandes wants to stay if he sees changes being made at the club and believes the player`s ambition indicates a desire to win. Amorim concluded by praising Fernandes` quality and age, saying, “He`s really young, he`s really good. He needs to be in the best league in the world.”
