Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes is in the final 12 months of his contract at Old Trafford and his future continues to make headlines.
The Portuguese was also linked with an exit last year amid interest from the Middle East but ended up staying. He went on to have a record-breaking campaign, registering 21 assists in the Premier League and winning the Player of the Season award.
Unfortunately, Fernandes has not been at his best this year, and has managed five goals and two assists in 13 games across competitions. The Red Devils skipper has also been embroiled in controversy after publicly questioning Michael Carrick’s tactics following the 4-1 defeat to Como.
It was previously suggested that United are already in talks to tie their talisman down to a new deal. However, there has been no progress so far, prompting talk of an exit, and perhaps even a move to Saudi Arabia. Recent reports suggest that Al-Hilal are preparing a move for Fernandes in January, but a contrasting update has now emerged.
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | All seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | All seasons |
| Apps | 37 | 13 | 50 |
| Minutes | 3201 | 1062 | 4263 |
| Starts | 36 | 12 | 48 |
| Sub appearances | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Goals | 9 | 5 | 14 |
| Non-penalty goals | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Assists | 22 | 1 | 23 |
| Goals + assists | 31 | 6 | 37 |
| Minutes per goal | 356 | 212 | 305 |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | All seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| xG (PL) | 10.79 | 2.95 | 13.74 |
| xA (PL) | 12.28 | 1.61 | 13.89 |
| xG + xA (PL) | 23.07 | 4.56 | 27.63 |
| Avg rating | 7.64 | 6.99 | 7.47 |
| Shots | 58 | 27 | 85 |
| Shots on target | 26 | 10 | 36 |
| Shot accuracy % | 44.8% | 37.0% | 42.4% |
| Conversion % | 15.5% | 18.5% | 16.5% |
| Passes | 2130 | 669 | 2799 |
| Accurate passes | 1748 | 548 | 2296 |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | All seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass accuracy % | 82.1% | 81.9% | 82.0% |
| Key passes | 143 | 33 | 176 |
| Dribbles attempted | 37 | 10 | 47 |
| Dribbles completed | 16 | 4 | 20 |
| Dribble success % | 43.2% | 40.0% | 42.6% |
| Tackles | 58 | 12 | 70 |
| Interceptions | 22 | 4 | 26 |
| Tackles + interceptions | 80 | 16 | 96 |
| Blocks | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| Duels | 283 | 68 | 351 |
| Stat | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | All seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duels won | 130 | 28 | 158 |
| Duels won % | 45.9% | 41.2% | 45.0% |
| Dribbled past | 40 | 6 | 46 |
| Fouls won | 36 | 11 | 47 |
| Fouls committed | 25 | 8 | 33 |
| Offsides | 4 | 0 | 4 |
| Yellow cards | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties won | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties conceded | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Al-Hilal end Bruno Fernandes pursuit
According to TEAMtalk, Al-Hilal have ended their pursuit of Fernandes. The report states: “Bruno Fernandes will NOT be offered a Manchester United escape by Al-Hilal, talkSPORT understands.”
While Fernandes’ struggles this season could have his suitors worried, the report suggests that the Saudi club’s decision is due to an entirely different reason. The report continues: “Hilal have already allocated all of their slots for overseas players after a summer spending spree that included the signings of Premier League trio Gabriel Martinelli, Ollie Watkins and Crysencio Summerville.”
United do have a one-year option in Fernandes’ deal, which they are likely to trigger to prevent Fernandes from leaving for free.
United cannot afford to let Fernandes leave
While Fernandes has been a shadow of his former self this season, it would be unwise to let him go without signing a proper replacement. The Portuguese is still the beating heart of the United team and his creative genius continues to make a difference.
The 32-year-old has also suffered due to the poor form of the attackers this season, with the lack of a new No. 9 hurting the team. Benjamin Sesko remains sidelined with an injury, while Joshua Zirkzee has failed to convince so far.
INEOS are expected to address the situation in the winter transfer window, when a new striker and a left-back are on the agenda. Also on United’s plans in 2027 are defensive reinforcements, given the poor form of their backline, which has managed just one clean sheet in 14 games this season.
The English giants are looking ahead to further squad reinforcements next year and perhaps they could do without having to replace Fernandes as well. The Portuguese is the only world-class player in the team and finding a suitable heir is neither going to be easy nor cheap.
Instead, United must tie him down to a new deal and focus on adding similar elite-level players to the squad. The secret to the Red Devils rediscovering their heyday could be an inspired Fernandes operating alongside capable team-mates.
The Peoples Person Reliability Assessment
Overall credibility: 5/10
Why?
✅ Al-Hilal have saturated their overseas quota.
⚠️ The Saudi club could offload players to make space for Fernandes.
TPP view
We believe that Fernandes is unlikely to give up on European football and move to the Middle East just yet, so Al-Hilal could be tempted to end their pursuit.
Featured image by Michael Regan via Getty Images
