Fernandes Rejects Al-Hilal Move, Citing Desire for ‘Highest Level’ Football

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed he turned down a substantial offer from Saudi Pro-League club Al-Hilal, stating his commitment to “play at the highest level.”

The 30-year-old spent several days deliberating a deal that would have more than doubled his current salary at Old Trafford, where he is already among the highest earners. However, after discussions with his family, Fernandes informed Al-Hilal of his decision to remain at Manchester United.

Speaking ahead of Portugal’s Nations League semi-final against Germany in Munich on Wednesday, Fernandes disclosed that United boss Ruben Amorim had urged him to stay. “Manchester United said they didn’t want to sell me,” he stated. “They said if I wanted to go I could, but they didn’t need the money. I spoke to coach Ruben Amorim who, throughout that period, he was pushing for me not to go.”

Fernandes described the offer from Al-Hilal as “exciting” and admitted it would have been “easy” to move to Saudi Arabia, especially with several Portuguese players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Joao Cancelo, and Ruben Neves, already playing there.

However, he emphasized his motivation: “I want to play at the highest possible level. I want to play major competitions. I know I still can and I want to be happy doing the thing I love the most. For better or worse, this is how I see football and I’m passionate about football and this is the decision I’ve made.”

Manchester United is reportedly delighted by the news, which follows manager Amorim’s earlier expressed belief that Fernandes would stay.

There were no direct conversations between United and Al-Hilal, meaning the English club was never formally presented with a bid to reject. Nevertheless, it was anticipated that the Saudi side was prepared to offer between £80 million and £100 million to secure his signing in time for this month’s FIFA Club World Cup.