One Manchester United player has been issued with a transfer ultimatum as he’s left to weigh up a money-spinning proposal from overseas.
According to the Daily Mail on Tuesday afternoon, Al-Hilal have given Bruno Fernandes three days to make up his mind on a ‘take it or leave it’ offer, with the Saudi Pro League club prepared to offer him a weekly tax-free wage of £700,000 as part of a three-year package worth up to £200m.
The Riyadh-based outfit are seeking to sign a marquee player in time to be registered for the FIFA Club World Cup next month and have the Old Trafford captain as their number one target.
United are quite reluctant to sell the 30-year-old but, as the Portugese playmaker hinted himself at the weekend, they may be under financial pressure to do so after the fateful defeat in last week’s Europa League final deprived them of as much as £100m in Champions League revenue.
If Fernandes is open to the move, Al-Hilal could then come forward with a formal approach and a potential £100m transfer bid.
Do Man United keep or sell Fernandes?
The United captain seems acutely aware of the financial implications of defeat in Bilbao last week for the Red Devils, and the Saudi Arabian interest in him gives Old Trafford chiefs an immediate opportunity to bring in some much-needed revenue.
If he decides that the time is right to try a new adventure and earn an exorbitant amount of money while he’s at it, the Manchester club would receive a handsome top-up to their transfer budget to add greater scope for Ruben Amorim to mould the squad in his image.
If Fernandes would prefer to stay (the manager has already made his feelings clear in that regard), it means that United keep hold of the one player who, more than any other, had been the driving force behind the European run which had offered a ray of hope in an otherwise dismal season for the 20-time champions of England.
The ball is in the 30-year-old’s court, but Al-Hilal aren’t prepared to hang around as he contemplates a decision which affects not just his career, but also the livelihoods of his family.
Quite the dilemma for United to ponder
Selling the Portuguese midfielder would theoretically help to fund prospective moves for the likes of Liam Delap and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer transfer window.
However, Amorim may prefer to do so by clearing out a few players who’ve had nowhere near as much influence on the team as Fernandes this season, even if the captain chose an inopportune time to put in a sub-par performance in the Europa League final.
Either way, Al-Hilal’s three-day ultimatum means that the Old Trafford faithful won’t have long to wait for the 30-year-old’s decision.
