Cristiano Ronaldo’s Man Utd January transfer plan is ‘ALIVE’

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 12 Sept 2025 10:44 BST
• 5 min read

News

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Manchester United legend, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is not in any mood to do his old club any favours as Ruben Amorim embarks on the difficult challenge of turning them around.

Ronaldo has his own agenda at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, where he is trying to build a formidable squad, having committed himself to the cause for the next two years.

Over the summer, the Man Utd icon attracted top European talent in the form of Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman and Inigo Martinez to club – and he’s not about to stop there.

STATS

Cristiano Ronaldo 

F (C)

Al-Nassr

Cristiano Ronaldo 

F (C)

Al-Nassr

All Tournaments

2025/26

• 3

  Games

• 2

  Goals

• 1

  Assists

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Ronaldo is spearheading Al-Nassr’s mission to sign Bruno Fernandes from his former club, according to reports.

The Portugal international star has long been linked with a move to Saudi and even suggested at the end of last season that he could leave Old Trafford.

Bruno remains a key component of Amorim’s plans with the Red Devils, but Ronaldo is doing everything in his power to prise him away.

January move for Bruno is ‘alive’

“Interest remains alive and could be revived in January 2026,” Fichajes reports. It claims that millions have been put aside by the Saudi Pro League to attract world-class players, and the 31-year-old Fernandes is one case that is being studied.

Perhaps most worryingly for Man Utd, Ronaldo is not simply working on behalf of Al-Nassr – he is operating for the league as a whole and could seek to place his compatriot at a rival club if he is not interested in joining him directly.

This will put more pressure on the Red Devils to perform to a high standard in the early weeks of the season.

Amorim is confident that he has got the mix right behind the scenes having offloaded Andre Onana to Trabzonspor, but if he is wrong, United face the very real possibility of losing Bruno Fernandes to the Saudi Pro League in January.

What has Bruno said about joining the Saudi Pro League in the past?

Bruno Fernandes confirmed in June that he has been directly approached by Saudi officials in the past but he had turned down a move after talking it over with Amorim.

“The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there,” Fernandes said. “I had to wait a while to think about the future. As I’ve always said, I would be willing to do it if United thought it was best to move on.

“I spoke with Ruben Amorim, who really tried to talk me out of it. I spoke to the club, who said they weren’t willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave. From my side, it was a very ambitious proposal, the president was a fantastic person. I never talked about the money, it ended up coming up later, with my agent.

“I had to make the decision as a family and understand what I wanted for my future. That was the question my wife asked, what my professional goals would be. At no point did she say yes or no, she always supported me and put my professional side first. It was an easy move, even at a family level. I had Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo. My children are used to playing with theirs.

“But I simply want to stay at the highest level, playing in the big competitions, because I still feel capable of that. I want to continue to be happy and do what I love most. I’m still very passionate about this sport. It’s my way of seeing football and I’m happy with my decision.”

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