Bruno Fernandes given clear Saudi transfer verdict as Man Utd exit 'no-brainer'
It's the £300million question - and only Bruno Fernandes has the answer. The Manchester United captain has been given the chance to leave the sinking ship at Old Trafford for steadier waters in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal, one of the big hitters in the Saudi Pro League, have offered Fernandes a mega £700,000 per week contract which the 30-year-old is understood to be seriously considering after his agent met Saudi chiefs in Riyadh last week. Three years in the Middle East would see him pocket a staggering £200m while Al-Hilal are also willing to pay United a £100m fee.
That's enough to transform the Red Devils' summer transfer budget and give Ruben Amorim funds to further build the team in his own image. But at what cost?
United's lowly 15th-placed finish was off the back of Fernandes' brilliant individual campaign, so would his departure deepen their ongoing crisis? Amorim, at least publicly, wants him to stay but the Portugal international hinted that he'd be open to leaving following last month's Europa League final defeat.
For this week's Big Debate, we asked the Mirror Football team to give Fernandes some advice. Should he stay or should he go?
Jeremy Cross
Fernandes should be off from Manchester United like a shot. He owes United nothing, having carried them on his back for the last few seasons.
And his reward for this is to be left stuck in a team without European football - and with a cat in hell's chance of winning the title next season. He will be 31 in September and is approaching the age when big names look to cash in one last time. And moves don't come more lucrative than ones to Saudi Arabia.
He will know leaving Old Trafford would leave the team in an even deeper hole. But that's not his problem. And besides, club bosses have just made him go on a farcical post-season tour to Hong Kong and Malaysia, so he also knows where United's skewed priorities lie.
James Whaling
From the player's point of view, this would seem like something of a no-brainer. Bruno Fernandes is the wrong side of 30, Manchester United are in a perilous state and there is no European football on the horizon.
If Fernandes had a concrete offer from one of the continent's big-hitters, there would be a decision to make. But in lieu of that, could anyone really blame him for taking the riches on offer in Saudi Arabia rather than staying at Old Trafford?
Yes, the standard of football is dramatically worse. But he will be a marquee figure and there is little evidence it will affect his international involvement given Cristiano Ronaldo's enduring Portugal career despite playing in the Middle East.
I'm still not convinced Manchester United have quite bottomed out yet, and Fernandes should take the opportunity to make sure he's not around to see that happen. Not to mention the £100million parting gift to swell the club's coffers. It might even save a dinner lady her job.
Ben Husband
The focus shouldn't be on reasons for him leaving, they should be all about why he should stay. After all, Fernandes has essentially carried United on his back for five-and-a-half years, with only two domestic cups to show for it.
In a hypothetical world, he could have moved to the other half of Manchester and already be in conversations for being the league's best player. United have done nothing to improve the squad around him since he arrived in 2020 - in fact it has got significantly worse.
At 30, Fernandes could be excused for lacking the patience for what seems to be another massive rebuild at Old Trafford. I would like to see him stay in Europe, but who could blame him for taking the riches on offer in Saudi Arabia?
United under Sir Jim Ratcliffe seem more bothered about their balance sheet than the team sheet. Fernandes would do well to cut ties.
Mark Jones
There's obviously the Club World Cup pressure as Al-Hilal press for a deal during this mini transfer window, but if any player deserves a summer off then it is Bruno Fernandes, so if he can find a way to sit tight then I'd do that right now.
The Portuguese has just had arguably the best season of his career, despite everything crumbling around him at Manchester United. But if he is to leave - which he probably should do if he's interested in winning things - I'd like to see him at one of Europe's top sides before making the move to Saudi Arabia.
Fernandes previously had three seasons at Udinese and one at Sampdoria, is well respected at Italy's bigger clubs, and he'd certainly improve Inter Milan given their showing at the weekend. He'd make AC Milan, Napoli, Juventus and the rest better, too.
Italy might not be an option for him just yet though, and it certainly won't be as lucrative as Saudi would be, but he should be sitting back and relaxing right now after the rigours of a tough season. Yes, get out of United, but take your time about it.
Tom Victor
The main argument against Bruno Fernandes leaving Manchester United comes from his perceived importance to everything the team does. However, if we translate that to league form, what does that actually mean? The difference between finishing 15th and 17th?
United need a summer rebuild - that much is obvious. They'll need to sell in order to buy after missing out on Europe and there's only one member of their squad who can fetch the big one-off fee to accelerate that process.
He's already given his best years to the club, and they're some way from being back in a position of being competitive at the top end of the league. By the time that happens ( if it happens?), who knows how big a toll that average of 53 games per season for five straight years will have taken.
Sure, United might miss Fernandes in the short term. As we've seen with Paris Saint-Germain post- Kylian Mbappe and Liverpool post- Phillipe Coutinho in recent years, though, forcing yourself to spread out the creative responsibilities can sometimes be the best way forward.
Sam Meade
Fernandes should go. He can only do so much in Manchester and he's about to find out that Amorim's system may not be overly inclusive of him as a player. Without a natural No.10 spot and more demands placed on positions, Fernandes may struggle to perform the role his manager wants.
While I think he should leave the Red Devils, I'm not a lover of players heading to Saudi in their pomp, but heads get turned when mammoth sums are on offer, so it is understandable. It may not do much for his career but would be very kind to his bank balance.
Fernandes has just had one of his best years to date and it got United absolutely nowhere, so it proves that one fantastic individual cannot solve a magnitude of problems. He's given it his all but a new challenge would certainly benefit him and the Middle East may be his only option.
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