Bruno Fernandes confirms talks with Cristiano Ronaldo about Saudi transfer

Tom Weber

Updated: 25 Oct 2025 12:42 BST
4 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Portugal — © IMAGO

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has confirmed that he discussed a potential move to Saudi Arabia with Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer.

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The Portugal international has been fielding interest from Saudi Pro League clubs for several years, but Fernandes has repeatedly rebuffed the approaches from the Middle East.

Last year, the 31-year-old signed a new contract at Man Utd, but this only silenced the speculation for 12 months. This summer, Fernandes was linked with three of Saudi Arabia's biggest clubs.

Current ETV

Bruno Fernandes

AM, M (C)

Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes

AM, M (C)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€46.3M - €56.6M

Al-Hilal attempted to sign him before the Club World Cup, then Al-Nassr reportedly came calling, encouraged by compatriot Ronaldo, and finally reigning champions Al-Ittihad made a late move to bring him in.

On Friday, Fernandes revealed that a discussion with his wife, Ana, was crucial in convincing him to stay at Old Trafford. However, he has also confirmed that he talked to Ronaldo about the Saudi Pro League.

Fernandes confirms Ronaldo talks

"The first thing he said to me was, 'Are you too expensive for the club?' I said, 'There is no one too expensive for that club!' I spoke with Cristiano about the situation, about Saudi and everything," Fernandes told the Daily Mail.

"Cristiano had his opinion on what I should do, and it was important for me to hear what he thought," he added, without disclosing what exactly Ronaldo advised him to do.

It is possible that the 40-year-old megastar attempted to convince him to make the move to Saudi Arabia, given that he is essentially an ambassador for the country and the Pro League. Moreover, Ronaldo has a decisive influence on Al-Nassr's transfers.

Fernandes admitted that he "doesn't know" if he will make the move to the Middle East in the future, echoing what he recently said while on international duty with Portugal.

He did, however, make it clear that any potential exit from Man Utd in 2026 would not happen before the World Cup. "My agent knows how I work. If he wants to talk to me, it will be after the World Cup. Because until then, I won't speak to anyone," Fernandes insisted.

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