-
News
- 35 minutes ago
EXCLUSIVE: Bruno Fernandes makes decision on Al-Ittihad transfer
Tom Weber
- Updated: 30 Aug 2025 13:03 BST
- 5 min read
Exclusive
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is not expected to agree to a move to Al-Ittihad this summer, The Transfers Podcast understands.
LISTEN TO THE LATEST EPISODE HERE
The Portugal international has been the subject of persistent transfer speculation after what was Man Utd's worst-ever season in the Premier League. Fernandes was one of the few positives of an otherwise dire campaign.
Saudi clubs, in particular, have sought to exploit Man Utd's struggles by luring their captain to the Middle East. Record Asian champions Al-Hilal tried to bring Fernandes in ahead of the Club World Cup, but the 30-year-old rejected the move.
Riyadh rivals Al-Nassr, with their recruitment now heavily influenced by Cristiano Ronaldo, later approached Fernandes to enquire about his willingness to link up with his compatriot.
However, the midfielder again opted to turn down the chance of a hefty payday in favour of staying at Old Trafford. Not to be deterred, reigning Pro League champions Al-Ittihad, also owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) like Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr, have now spoken to Fernandes, too.
Fernandes unlikely to make Saudi move
The Jeddah outfit have tested the waters to see if Fernandes' stance has changed, but transfer insider Duncan Castles has revealed on the latest episode of The Transfers Podcast that he does not expect the Man Utd captain to jump ship.
"The Saudi champions Al-Ittihad are trying to get Bruno Fernandes from Man Utd, which adds to the complications of the situation that Man Utd's ownership group are facing at present," Castles explained.
"Al-Ittihad are also looking at Rodrigo Mora from FC Porto and have put an offer of €63 million in for the 18-year-old attacking midfielder. Porto are referencing the €70m release clause.
"I think that one will come down to Fernandes, as it did ahead of the summer when a couple of other PIF-owned clubs were trying to sign Fernandes, and Man Utd basically left the decision to the player as to whether he wanted to take a very large money offer in Saudi Arabia and which would generate a big transfer fee for Man Utd.
"I don't expect Fernandes to push for that, given that he turned it down once before and given the fragile state of United at present."
The Transfers Podcast
Join the Transfers Podcast chat on WhatsApp
The Transfers Podcast, powered by FootballTransfers, is available on your preferred podcast platform and YouTube. Subscribe here:
Football transfer news headlines today
EXCLUSIVE: Ruben Amorim could quit Man Utd this weekend
EXCLUSIVE: Jose Mourinho’s next move after Fenerbahce sacking revealed
DONE DEALS: Every official completed transfer around Europe today
CONFIRMED: Chelsea complete BIGGEST transfer of the summer - Fabrizio Romano
The FootballTransfers app
Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.
The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:
