Bruno Fernandes is spotted dining with Al-Hilal 'secret agent' as Man United captain weighs up £200m Saudi mega-move

Bruno Fernandes fueled speculation surrounding a potential move to the Saudi Pro League after he was spotted dining with an Al Hilal star.
On the table is an offer believed to be worth £200milion over a three-year contract. Al-Hilal will push the Man United captain for a response to their £700,000-a-week tax-free deal, before approaching the Red Devils with an offer in the region of £100m.
Mail Sport understands Fernandes' agent, Miguel Pinho, spent three days at the Four Seasons hotel in Riyadh last week, where he held face-to-face talks with Al-Hilal officials.
But Fernandes' agent was not the only one in contact with Al Hilal personnel.
The player was spotted at Joao Cancelo's birthday party over the weekend, sharing a group meal to celebrate the former Man City star turning 31.
The two countrymen both suit up for the Portuguese national team, but the timing of this link-up will only send speculation soaring.
🚨🚨| Bruno Fernandes was seen with national teammate and current Al-Hilal player João Cancelo today. [ @hilalstuff ]
pic.twitter.com/ePlf8O0d13
— centredevils. (@centredevils) June 1, 2025
Fernandes just recently jetted back from United's miserable post-season tour in the Far East, where they limply lost in Malaysia against ASEAN All-Stars, in front of fans who had paid up to £260 to attend.
After the second game of their tour, in which they came back from a goal down to beat Hong Kong 3-1, Ruben Amorim insisted he does not believe Fernandes has played his last match for United.
The beleaguered boss: 'I don't think so. I don't know for sure. I think he wants to stay. He is saying no to a lot of things.
'The club can find other ways to make money. The feeling I get is that he wants to continue for sure with Man United, you never know.'
Fernandes' recent social media activity could also be seen as a hint that he plans on staying.
The 30-year-old reposted United's post on Instagram officially announcing Matheus Cunha's £62.5m move to Old Trafford on Sunday.
United sources have re-iterated that they do not want to sell Fernandes, but the club are under even greater financial pressure after their defeat by Tottenham in the Europa League final cost them £100m in Champions League revenue.
Speaking after the final, Fernandes himself acknowledged the possibility of a summer exit.
He said defeatedly: 'If the club thinks it's time to part ways because they want to do some cashing in or whatever, it's what it is. Football sometimes is like this.'
Al Hilal are keen to sign the Portugal international in time for the revamped 32-team Club World Cup, which begins on June 14.
They have been drawn in Group H alongside European champions Real Madrid, Red Bull Salzburg and Mexican side Pachuca.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Daily Mail​

2 hours ago

• Daily Mail​

Major twist in Paul Pogba transfer battle as 'new club enters race' for former Man Utd midfielder as he returns from 18-month doping ban

Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is reportedly being targeted by Saudi side Al-Ittihad who hope to beat Monaco to the Frenchman's signature. The midfielder has held discussion with Monaco ahead of his return to football after his 18-month drugs suspension. The free agent World Cup winner had appeared to nearing a move to the Ligue 1 side with a two-year contract proposal on the table. Pogba saw his initial four-year drug ban cut to 18 months in October 2024 and has been free to recommence his career since March. Discussions have been ongoing with image rights said to be amid a number of stumbling blocks in the way of a transfer to the Stade Louis II. But while Monaco chiefs remain confident, a deal may be complicated by increased Saudi interest. Al-Ittihad are hoping to sign the former Juventus midfielder, according to French outlet Foot Mercato. A move to the Saudi Arabian champions would see Pogba linking up with former France international team-mates Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 last season and their offer of Champions League football could tempt Pogba, who is eyeing a return to the French national team ahead of the World Cup. Earlier this week, Pogba reunited with some former United team-mates at the Club World Cup. The 31-year-old jetted out to the States to catch up with some old friends in Miami as Boca Juniors took on Benfica. Taking to Instagram, Pogba, who captioned the photo: 'What a pleasure to see my friends!' shared a snap of himself and four other former United players who all play for the Argentine side. Sharing to his story and his 63million followers, Pogba stood in the middle of the group with his arms around two of the players. To his left was goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who played 61 times for United - 21 times alongside Pogba - between 2015 and 2021. To his right was forward Edinson Cavani. The former Paris Saint-Germain man played 59 times for United - 36 with Pogba - joining in 2020 and leaving in 2022. Next to Romero was Marcos Rojo. The centre back played for United for seven years, playing 48 times alongside the World Cup winner. The final man in the picture was Ander Herrera, who played alongside Pogba 84 times - and was sent off in the game despite not being on the pitch.

The Sun

2 hours ago

• The Sun

Emi Martinez desperately tries to push through Man Utd transfer with Ruben Amorim a huge admirer of Aston Villa star

EMILIANO MARTINEZ is desperately trying to push through a dream move to Manchester United. And Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim is weighing up his goalkeeping options and has not ruled out a new number one with Andre Onana emerging as a target for Monaco. 4 4 4 Amorim wants 'captains and leaders' in his squad and the Man Utd chief has been a long-term admirer of the Aston Villa stopper, 32, who has been named Fifa's best goalkeeper twice in the last three years. A source said: 'Emi is big pals with Argentina team-mate Lisandro Martinez and is keen to move. He has already knocked back a couple of big hitters in the hope of joining United. 'Amorim is a huge admirer of his. He tried to sign him for Sporting in 2020 but lost out to Villa. He wants to fill the squad with captains and leaders and Emi fits the bill perfectly.' Amorim has already landed Brazil and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha in a £62.5million deal after beginning to reshape his squad for the new Premier League season. But now the Portuguese coach could land another South American in Argentina World Cup winner Martinez with question marks over Onana and understudy Altay Bayindir. Onana has been linked with an Old Trafford exit after a number of high-profile blunders since joining from Inter Milan for £47m in July 2023 and Monaco are exploring a deal for the 29-year-old. Bayindir also did not cover himself in glory when he conceded four in a loss at Newcastle after he was given the chance to replace error-prone Onana. Martinez signed a new five-year £150,000-a-week deal with Villa less than a year ago, but the Midlands club failed to qualify for the Champions League. Any bid of around £40m would ease Villa's financial concerns to satisfy Uefa's squad cost ratio after Unai Emery's side finished sixth in the Prem and secured Europa League football. He sparked speculation over his future after he broke down in tears and took a bow in front of the Holte End after Villa's final home game of the season. Martinez has been previously linked with Atletico Madrid, AC Milan and clubs in Saudi Arabia. Reports in his homeland of Argentina claimed Man Utd were 'advancing in talks' to bring him to Manchester. However, even if a deal is done, Amorim will be without him for the season opener at home to Arsenal on August 17 following a red card - ironically against Man Utd - in a 2-0 loss on the final day of the season last month. Villa have been looking for keepers themselves and have made contact with Lille over £40m-rated stopper Lucas Chevalier. Nice's Polish keeper Marcin Bulka is also on Villa's radar. 4

Daily Mirror

2 hours ago

• Daily Mirror

Antonio Conte makes statement about Man Utd transfer he did not expect

Napoli boss Antonio Conte has revealed he was surprised that one Manchester United transfer was completed last summer with the Italian not expecting the deal to go ahead Antonio Conte has revealed he was surprised Napoli were able to sign Scott McTominay from Manchester United last summer. The Scotland international helped inspire a Serie A title win in his first season at the club as he played a pivotal role in the success. United accepted a £25.4million bid for McTominay as they parted ways with the academy product in August 2024, much to ex-Chelsea boss Conte's delight. Then Red Devils head coach Erik ten Hag blamed profit and sustainability rules for the sale of the midfielder, admitting he had mixed feelings about the deal. ‌ But while McTominay had struggled to secure a position in the Dutchman's starting XI consistently, he quickly proved his worth to Conte. The 27-year-old deliverd 12 goals and six assists in 34 appearances during his debut season in Italy, including six goals in the final seven matches as Napoli earned the title over Inter Milan on the final day of the season. ‌ And Conte was surprised to have McTominay at his disposal at all. Despite being told by club chiefs that his signature could be secured, the Italian thought Napoli's lack of European football could be problematic. But the 55-year-old knew the player was underutilised at Old Trafford. Conte was more than happy to take advantage of the opportunity. "Scott is a player whom I knew really well. He was born and raised at Manchester United," Conte told Sky Sport Italia. "I could see that he always made an impact when he played, but at the same time, I noticed he wasn't used as a key player at Manchester United. "He was hardly a starter. Honestly, we had talked about it with [Napoli director] Giovanni Manna. He told me it was a possible solution. ‌ "Sometimes, directors make up stories also to keep you calm. If you ask me: 'Have you ever thought McTominay would surely arrive?' I'd say no. "Don't forget we were heading into a season without European trophies to play for, so he had to leave Manchester United to start over with us." Conte was left with a single frustration, McTominay's signing happened too close to the end of the window. 'A bit late, but he arrived and I was very happy because Manna was good at signing him,' Conte said. 'We had discussed McTominay, but I didn't think he would really join us.' Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.