Liverpool laughing with Man Utd to ‘engage’ in Fernandes sale talks once record bid arrives

There is a ‘threshold’ above which Manchester United will ‘engage’ in talks to sell Bruno Fernandes and thanks to Liverpool, a gigantic record-breaking bid and contract offer are in the works, according to a report.

The number one transfer target among Saudi deal-makers for the upcoming summer transfer window was Mohamed Salah. Yet try as they might, Salah could not be convinced to leave the Reds and ultimately ironed out a two-year extension at Anfield.

Liverpool thus retained their most potent attacker who has fired them to the Premier League title this season. However, a knock-on effect can now be felt over at Old Trafford.

Saudi interest in Bruno Fernandes and from Al-Hilal in particular is strong. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirmed as much on May 5, describing the admiration as ‘genuine’ and the Portuguese as a ‘top target.’

Suggestions coming out of Saudi Arabia of a £60m release clause have been played down across the board. But according to a fresh update from reporter Ben Jacobs, Al-Hilal are prepared to bid well in excess of £60m anyway.

It’s claimed Al-Hilal had set aside £510m for the contract Salah would have signed if leaving Liverpool. That was split into £170m over three years, with no transfer fee required given Salah would have joined as a free agent.

But with Salah staying put, that £510m is being channelled towards a move for Man Utd ace Fernandes and Al-Hilal ‘could be prepared to offer a British record transfer fee to get the deal done.’

The current British transfer record holder is Coutinho by way of his £142m (add-ons included) switch from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018.

Per the report, the rest of the £510m would go towards paying Fernandes £65m per season (£1.25m per week), which it’s claimed he has already been offered by Al-Hilal.

What will Man Utd do?

Jacobs, Romano and The Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler have all stated Man Utd’s intention is NOT to sell their captain.

However, Jacobs stated ‘Al Hilal understand there to be a threshold above which United would engage if the player expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford.’

Given the Saudi side are prepared to put record-breaking numbers on the table, it stands to reason that threshold will be in the rear view mirror if an official bid is lodged.

Fernandes is 30 years of age and United would have to carefully weigh up their options if such an offer were to arrive.

Receiving a giant sum would go some distance to funding a much-needed squad rebuild at Old Trafford. Let’s not forget Liverpool almost entirely offset the fees required to sign Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk with the Coutinho money.

However, Fernandes has been a shining light in what has otherwise been a season of doom and gloom at Old Trafford.

The skipper has stood head and shoulders above his teammates, notching 19 goals and 18 assists across all competitions.

Without him, some within the industry believe Man Utd would have been relegated.

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