Bruno Fernandes’ agent, Miguel Pinho, reportedly held face-to-face talks with Saudi club Al-Hilal at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh on Thursday night regarding a potential £200m deal for the Manchester United captain.
It was revealed earlier in the week that Al-Hilal had presented Fernandes with a final “take it or leave it” offer, giving him 72 hours to decide. The Saudi club is said to be highly motivated to secure the Portuguese star, hoping to have him in the squad for the upcoming Club World Cup.
Pinho has been engaged in discussions with Al-Hilal for some time, even as Fernandes leads United on their post-season tour in Malaysia and Hong Kong. Al-Hilal’s proposal is reported to quadruple Fernandes’ £280,000-a-week salary to £700,000 tax-free, with a total package worth up to £200m over three years, including bonuses.
Should Fernandes accept, Al-Hilal are ready to finalize the paperwork on a contract worth approximately £65m-a-season and submit a formal bid to Manchester United, potentially around £100m.
While United sources have reiterated that the club does not want to lose their star player, their financial situation has worsened after their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham, which cost them £100m in potential Champions League revenue.
Fernandes himself acknowledged the possibility of being sold to balance the books, stating: “If the club thinks it’s time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in, it is what it is.”
