Man Utd could lose Bruno Fernandes in January as INEOS face fresh bid

Bruno Fernandes could be the subject of January interest with Manchester United reportedly facing a battle to keep their star midfielder. He remains tied down until 2027 but appears to be facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford. Over the summer, he was pursued by clubs in Saudi Arabia but chose to stay at United.

Al-Hilal were said to have tabled a huge offer worth around £700,000 per week, which would have made Fernandes one of the highest-paid players in world football. United, however, made it clear they would be keeping him while he also informed the club that he wanted to stay. The links have not gone away, though, with a future move to Saudi Arabia still on the cards.

Lines of communication with the Saudi Pro League are still open ahead of a potential January bid, according to TBR Football. It is said they are not giving up on their interest in Fernandes in spite of his decision to reject a summer switch.

The midfielder is reportedly focused on playing well for United and having a good season ahead of next year's World Cup. However, he has been informed that a move to the Gulf state would not impact his chances of getting into the Portugal squad.

As a result, Saudi Pro League chiefs are said to believe that a January move would not be out of the question. They are still prepared to pay 'good money' for Fernandes, with his situation at United described as 'far from settled'.

He opened up on the interest from Saudi Arabia earlier this year, revealing that he had turned down Al-Hilal's advances despite it being an 'easy move' for him and his family.

"The president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask about the possibility of me moving there and I had to wait a while to think about the future," said Fernandes.

"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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