Saudi Arabia, backed by 'oil money', is targeting captain Bruno Fernandes (31), prompting Manchester United (Man U) manager Ruben Amorim (40) to intervene.
The UK’s The Sun reported on the 7th (Korea time), quoting journalist Ben Jacobs, that Fernandes has received a massive offer from Saudi club Al Hilal.
Al Hilal plans to engage in a massive player acquisition this summer. Al Hilal wants to sign a 'star player' ahead of the FIFA Club World Cup, which begins on June 15.
To this end, Al Hilal is said to have secured a massive budget. Al Hilal made headlines in the sports community by setting a total fee of £510 million (about 950.6 billion won) for the acquisition of Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
After Salah turned down the substantial offer and chose to stay with Liverpool, Al Hilal is now targeting Fernandes. According to the article, Al Hilal has made an offer to Fernandes that totals £65 million (about 121.2 billion won) annually for three years, making it a world-class proposal.
Fernandes has heard Al Hilal's offer but has not yet responded. Fernandes is contracted with Man U until the summer of 2027.
Al Hilal is a Saudi club where world-class players like Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Yassine Bounou, Aleksandar Mitrovic, and Joao Cancelo play. Korean players such as Seol Ki-hyeon, Lee Young-pyo, Yoo Byung-soo, Kwak Tae-hwi, and Jang Hyun-soo have also played there.
If Man U sells Fernandes to Al Hilal, it is expected to exceed the British transfer record of £115 million (approximately 214.3 billion won), paid by Chelsea for Moises Caicedo in 2023.
However, Man U is still not considering selling Fernandes. Nevertheless, Al Hilal believes it could sway Man U's decision by leveraging the club’s finances.
In particular, manager Amorim emphasized regarding Fernandes' transfer rumors in March, 'That will not happen. Bruno is not leaving,' and added, 'I spoke directly to him, and he needs to be here for us to aim for the Premier League title again.'
Amorim also noted, 'He is 30 years old, but he is young enough to play 55 matches each season. He records at least 30 assists and goals combined every year,' adding, 'A player like this is needed on our team and he will not be going anywhere.'
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