Bruno Fernandes may have to abandon Man Utd transfer plan with Al-Hilal decision

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

Bruno Fernandes has been offered the opportunity to leave Manchester United for a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia, but he has previously suggested moving to a different country
Bruno Fernandes has a big decision to make – and whichever call he makes, he will likely have to abandon his previous plans. The Manchester United captain has been handed the opportunity of a mega-money move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, but is yet to make his mind up.
Fernandes stands at a crossroads in his career following a dreadful campaign for United which saw them finish 15th in the Premier League and lose the Europa League final. After a miserable and embarrassing post-season trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong, he now has to decide whether to stick by United, or cash in with a move to Al-Hilal.
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The Saudi club are reportedly willing to pay United £100million to sign the Portugal international, who they will then pay £100m over the course of his contract. His agent Miguel Pinho has been in Riyadh for talks with the club's executives this week and he reportedly has a week to decide, with Al-Hilal preparing for the Club World Cup.
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Amid the storm, Fernandes has stirred the pot by posting a Portuguese quote on Instagram which translates to: 'If you tried and failed, congratulations! There are people who don't even try.'
It will soon be crunch time for the 30-year-old midfielder, who is under contract with United until June 2027, although the club also have the option of another year. Fernandes has 98 goals and 87 assists in 290 games for United since joining them from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 and has been captain for two seasons.
Al-Hilal's interest in his services is nothing new, but United's dreadful form and need to rejuvenate their squad suddenly makes the move a distinct possibility. Whatever he does – stay with United, or move to Saudi Arabia – it now seems unlikely that Fernandes will not follow through with a previously-stated desire to play in Brazil.
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He will turn 31 in September and this summer's decision would appear to rule out a future transfer to a Brazilian side further down the line. "Whenever I can, I follow it, because I find Brazilian football attractive, electric football, with a lot of quality, joy, very one-on-one,' he previously said.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Will Bruno Fernandes decide to quit Manchester United? Comment below.
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"It's pure football. And I think that now, with the coaches that are there, not only the Portuguese, but also Brazilians, are increasingly developing in the tactical part.
"I don't really like talking about the distant future, but it's like I said. It's attractive football, very interesting. The only thing is that the trips are very long there in Brazil! There are many competitions, many clubs that play Libertadores and Sudamericana, very good competitions. I'm not saying no, because Brazilian football is very attractive, and we never know the future."
The contract reportedly on offer at Al-Hilal is worth a staggering £700,000 per week and would run for three years. At the end of that, he will be approaching 34 and could instead choose to move back to his native Portugal, rather than to South America, away from his extended family.