Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes has informed the club that he is not keen on moving to the Middle East.
According to Florian Plettenberg, Bruno Fernandes has informed Manchester United that he is not looking to join Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal. He wants to continue playing at the highest level and is set to continue at Old Trafford with his contract running until 2027.
Fernandes arrived at the club at the start of 2020 in a big-money move from Sporting CP. He has gone on to establish himself as one of the mainstays in the team and is widely regarded as one of the best-attacking midfielders in the game.
In a season where United could only secure a 15th-placed finish and ended up losing the Europa League final, Fernandes was still one of their standout performers with 38 goal contributions (19 goals, 19 assists) in his 57 outings.
While he still has two years left on his deal, there has been a lot of talk about his future amidst interest from Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal. The Middle East outfit have identified him as a priority target for the summer and they are willing to fork out a big fee to lure him to the club.
Fernandes to continue at Old Trafford?
As per a report from Football Insider, United were willing to sanction the departure of their skipper as long as they got the right price. While they were not looking to force him out, they were open to a potential sale if he wanted to move.
With Al-Hilal willing to table an offer close to £100 million for a player turning 31 later this year, it certainly made sense as United are struggling to manage their finances. The Red Devils are struggling to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) following years of poor transfer spending and massive wages.
As a result, raising around £100 million from his sale could certainly help. Since he is their highest-paid player it will also help them significantly with their wages. However as reported by Plettenberg, Fernandes has already informed the club that he is not looking to move to the Middle East at this stage. Meanwhile, the report also states that talks with the Portuguese international and the 30-year-old were never really at an advanced stage.