“I want to play at the highest level”: Bruno Fernandes confirms he has rejected Al-Hilal’s eye-watering offer | OneFootball

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has confirmed that he did indeed have an offer from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal, but he rejected their advances in favour of staying at Old Trafford.

Fernandes’ future has been the subject of intense speculation over the past few weeks, amidst Al-Hilal’s strong interest in the midfielder.

It’s understood Al-Hilal were eager to secure the services of a marquee player ahead of the upcoming Club World Cup and they identified Fernandes as a perfect fit.

Al-Hilal were prepared to offer United between £80m and £100m to sanction the 30-year-old’s exit. The Saudi club were also offering Fernandes a mega £200m three-year deal.

A report covered by The Peoples Person relayed that Fernandes was seriously considering the proposal after his agent met Al-Hilal chiefs in Riyadh last week. However, Fernandes’ family were not convinced that moving to Saudi was the best option for them.

Earlier today, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano broke the news everyone was waiting for, revealing that Fernandes had rejected Al-Hilal’s offer.

Speaking at a pre-match press conference in Germany before Portugal’s Nations League semi-final on Wednesday, Fernandes opened up on the situation, confirming that his mind is made up and he wants to continue plying his trade at Old Trafford, where he belongs.

He said [as quoted by Sky Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg], “There was an opportunity. The president called me and asked if I wanted to go there. They were waiting for me. I spoke to coach Amorim. He asked me not to go.”

“Manchester United didn’t want to sell me. They don’t need the money. If I had wanted to leave, they would have made it happen.”

He added, “Al Hilal were very kind. They spoke to my agent. Then I spoke to my wife. She asked: what do you want to do? She always supports my decisions. It would have been easy to move there.”

“I know the Portuguese players there very well. But I want to play at the highest level and compete for major titles. I can do that, and I still want to.”

“I’m very passionate about football.”

On United’s miserable 2024/25 season which saw the club finish a lowly 15th place in the Premier League, Fernandes remarked, “Our season was very tough. We weren’t able to achieve our goals. That’s a negative. I love being here with the national team now. I’m always happy here. I hope we can reach the final.”

Despite United’s troubles on the pitch, Fernandes notched an impressive 19 goals and 20 assists, earning himself the club’s Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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