Bruno Fernandes leans away from Cristiano Ronaldo’s SPL move, stating intentions to ‘compete’ at Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes was one of the most intriguing names of last summer’s transfer window, with the midfielder coming genuinely close to making a move to the Saudi Pro League. Now, the prospect of another high-profile Portuguese arrival alongside Cristiano Ronaldo in the Middle East appears increasingly remote, as Fernandes has made clear his focus is firmly on “competing” at Manchester United.

Al Hilal mounted a serious push to sign Fernandes in the summer of 2025, reportedly tabling a fee in excess of 100 million euros and dangling a salary in the region of £700,000 per week. The midfielder even held conversations with Cristiano Ronaldo about life in Saudi Arabia and the league itself, but ultimately relented under pressure from then-head coach Rúben Amorim and chose to remain part of United’s project despite the club’s persistent struggles.

In an interview with The Times, Fernandes was asked whether the two cup trophies claimed since his arrival were enough for a club of United’s stature. “Everyone who comes to Man United wants to win every trophy. No one thinks in coming to the club, ‘We’re going to fight for just one or two trophies in six years,’ let’s say. You want to fight for all of them. We went to three other finals and didn’t win. That can happen. But at least you’ve been in the fight. We were close,” he said.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, the question of his future will inevitably come back into focus, but Fernandes has laid out a clear set of conditions for staying. “And what I said to the club every time I spoke with them, what I want from the time I’m here, I just want to compete. Because if I compete, I will be close to winning. If I don’t compete, there’s no chance I’m going to get close to any silverware,” he added.

Fernandes also addressed the financial allure of other leagues while making it clear that trophies, not money, are what drives his decision-making. “Money, you can get anywhere. A lot of clubs in the Premier League pay well, a lot of clubs in Italy, Spain, pay you a lot. You come to this club because of the history, because of what you think you can achieve,” he stated.

“(Whether) you end up achieving or not, that’s a question of you being better than the other teams. But what I always say to the club is you can’t promise me I’m going to win the Premier League, that’s impossible, but if you promise we’re going to be competitive — that’s all I need to know,” Fernandes concluded, in remarks that point more toward a continuation at Old Trafford rather than a move to the SPL.

Will Manchester United compete in the 2026-27 season?

Last season was one to forget for Manchester United, who suffered defeat in the Europa League final and finished 15th in the Premier League, the lowest top-flight finish in the club’s history. The campaign was further destabilized by the sudden departure of Ruben Amorim midway through, but the team has since shown signs of steadying the ship and pushing toward the upper reaches of the table.

United currently sit third in the Premier League with 55 points from 31 games, putting them on track to return to the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 2023-24 season. Set to turn 32 in September 2026, Fernandes will be entering the final year of his contract, with everything to play for both individually and collectively as he waits to see whether United can truly deliver on the promise of competing for the biggest prizes.