Bruno Fernandes copies Mohamed Salah to leave transfer master plan in tatters

Daily Mirror

03-06-2025

Bruno Fernandes' decision to turn down a mega-money move to Al-Hilal could be a reflection of the waning power of the Saudi Pro League. Fernandes has decided to reject the offer of a £100million transfer this summer and a contract worth £700,000 a week in favour of staying with a club who have, frankly, hit rock bottom.
Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League and won't play any European football next season after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham. And yet it appears they have managed to hold onto their star player and captain - despite suggestions that some club officials (not head coach Ruben Amorim, it should be said) haven't exactly been beating down his door trying to persuade him to stay.
That should ring alarm bells in Saudi Arabia, where the master plan is built around luring the world's best players to the country. The Kingdom has now been snubbed by two of the Premier League's biggest stars, earmarked as being marquee arrivals, in very quick succession.
Mohamed Salah has been targeted by the Saudi Pro League ever since it announced itself on the world stage by splashing the cash to land Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023. As undeniably one of the world's best players, and the highest profile Arab Muslim athlete in the world, Salah is considered the golden goose in Saudi.
Yet he too has decided – for now, at least – that he would rather remain in the Premier League with Liverpool than accept a deal worth an estimated £500m. Salah is 32 years old, the kind of age when a lucrative deal in the Middle East might tempt the most, yet he signed a new two-year contract with the Reds in April.
Asked about the decision to snub Saudi Arabia, Salah said at Liverpool's title-winning parade: "I thought it was a good opportunity. My contract was up at Liverpool, and I would have gone to Saudi, but we finalised the deal with Liverpool.
"And I still have a good relationship with them and I always stay in contact with them. Yes, we were talking to each other. I don't know what is going to happen, but I am happy here in Liverpool and I am staying here for the next two years. Then I will see what I will do next."
The inference appears to be that Salah will still consider a move to Saudi Arabia, but not until he has made the most of his best years in a more competitive environment. Fernandes is two years younger than Salah and has made a similar call. Although he had reservations about uprooting his family, the biggest reason for Fernandes' decision to stay put was that he didn't want to leave the world's biggest leave for one that, for all its financial backing, remains second rate in the eyes of the vast majority.
For all that the Saudi Pro League has attracted plenty of young talented players from major European leagues, its star player remains 40-year-old Ronaldo. His deal with Al-Nassr expires at the end of June and he has hinted that he could leave by writing on social media: 'This chapter is over. The story? Still being written. Grateful to all.'
The Saudi business model is reliant on capturing and retaining stars like Ronaldo, who has undoubtedly been a major factor in others arriving. If the Portugal star packs his bags this summer there won't be an obvious name to step into the void now Salah and Fernandes have said 'thanks, but no thanks.'
'We have been able to attract and embed some of the best players in the world. We have got now, as part of the league, very good players,' Saudi Pro League director of football Michael Emenalo told Sky Sports in September 2023. 'We have top players, then a healthy sprinkle of world-class players. That bodes well for the future of the league.'
But is that still true? In the same interview, Emenalo dismissed the suggestion that Saudi Arabia could follow in the footsteps of the Chinese Super League as a short-lived gold rush, yet that appears to be an increasingly distinct possibility.
Emenalo also admitted that the kingdom's plan is reliant on star quality: 'It shouldn't be a surprise that when you put your plan in place you ask: how do you offer the best quality entertainment to our audience? That included bringing in the best quality players in the world."
But other than Ronaldo, which world-leading lights have actually gone to Saudi? How many in their peak are upping sticks? Not many.
Sure there's plenty of talent who have made the move. But the majority have been players who either took deals far beyond what they could expect to earn in the Premier League relevant to their talent level - Ivan Toney, Jhon Duran, Aleksandar Mitrovic - or who have made the move for that final pay day.
'Fortunately, the players have looked at the plan, strategy and ambition and they expressed values of wanting to make this league one of the best in the world," said Emenalo. "They decided to join and we are grateful for that.'
But now players are looking not just at the 'plan', but what has happened in recent years, able to reference the quality of football on display and the struggling attendances and weigh up whether the money alone is enough.
If Saudi Arabia's billions can no longer buy those players then the whole plan attached to the 2034 World Cup could be at risk.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.