Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is ‘seriously’ contemplating leaving the club in the upcoming transfer window, as interest from Al-Hilal intensifies.
Mail Sport reported on Thursday that Fernandes’ agent had held face-to-face talks with the Saudi Arabian club at a hotel in Riyadh over a mega-money deal for the Portuguese midfielder’s services.
Talks at the Four Seasons hotel are believed to have continued late into the night and sources describe the discussions as positive.
Al-Hilal are prepared to effectively quadruple Fernandes’ salary of £280,000-a-week by increasing it to £700,000 tax-free as part of a package worth up to £200million over three years including bonuses.
While Manchester United are believed to be confident that their captain will be at the club next season, BBC Sport are reporting that Fernandes has not completely committed his future to the team.
The prospect of moving to Saudi is something that Fernandes is said to be considering while he remains on United’s post-season tour of Asia.
Bruno Fernandes is believed to be considering leaving Manchester United this summer
Al-Hilal want to have a marquee player in place for the Club World Cup which starts next month
Fernandes’ agent Miguel Pinho was spotted in front of the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh to meet with Al-Hilal on Thursday
Al-Hilal are keen to draft the 30-year-old as soon as possible in a bid to have him registered to play in the revamped Club World Cup next month.
If he agrees to the terms being offered, the club are ready to issue the paperwork on a contract worth around £65m-a-season and make a formal approach to United with a bid in the region of £100m.
United sources have re-iterated that they do not want to sell their best player, but the club are under even greater financial pressure after the defeat by Tottenham in Wednesday’s Europa League final cost them £100m in Champions League revenue.
Following United’s devastating loss in Bilbao, Fernandes gave no guarantees that he will remain in Manchester next season.
‘I have always been honest,’ he said. ‘If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it’s what it is. Football sometimes is like this.
‘I’ve always said I will be here until the club says to me that it’s time to go. I’m eager to do more, to be able to bring the club to the great days.
‘The day that the club thinks that I’m too much or it’s time to part ways, football is like this, you never know it. But I’ve always said it and I keep my word in the same way.’
Fernandes is Al-Hilal’s No 1 target, but with ‘take it or leave it’ offer deadline approaching, they could move for Aston Villa’s Youri Tielemans or Atlanta midfielder Ederson instead.
Fernandes is currently part of the Red Devils squad that are on a post-season tour of Asia
Fernandes’ agent Pinho travelled to Riyadh with the Man United captain considering his future
The Portugal international’s current contract at the Red Devils is due to run until 2027 after he signed an extension last year.
He has netted a total of 98 goals in 290 appearances while at Old Trafford and would leave a huge hole in the United side if he were to leave.
United will come under more financial pressure than ever after failing to hit a £100m Champions League jackpot after their defeat at the hands of Tottenham last week.
Even though it is highly unlikely they would consider selling their captain, Fernandes will likely depart if the deal is in the club’s best interests.
