Bruno Fernandes has just rejected a huge contract from Saudi Arabia - Photo: REUTERS
Bruno Fernandes' decision to reject a huge offer from Al-Hilal is not just a personal deal but also a heavy blow to the ambitions of the Saudi Pro League. At the same time, it shows that the attraction of this tournament is gradually waning.
Instead of accepting a lucrative salary of up to 700,000 pounds per week, equivalent to a total contract value of about 200 million pounds (about 6,400 billion VND) over 3 years, the captain of Man United chose to stay and fight with a club that is "hit rock bottom" in form.
The Portuguese midfielder's refusal is a worrying sign for Saudi Arabia's football masterplan, which is built on luring the world's best players to the country.
In just a short time, they were rejected by two of the Premier League's biggest stars, names expected to be their "trump cards".
Mohamed Salah has been a top target for the Saudi Pro League since the league announced itself on the international stage by splashing out on Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023.
Salah is one of the best players in the world and the most famous Muslim athlete. He is considered the "golden goose" that Saudi Arabia desires.
However, the striker has decided (at least for now) that he wants to stay with Liverpool in the Premier League rather than accept a contract worth an estimated £500 million (over VND17,000 billion).
Despite being 32, the age when a lucrative contract in the Middle East can be most attractive, Salah signed a new two-year contract with Liverpool in April.
Ronaldo (left) is still the biggest star in the Saudi Pro League after 2 years - Photo: REUTERS
Clearly, Salah wants to spend his remaining peak years in a more competitive environment.
Fernandes, two years younger than Salah, made a similar decision. The biggest reason was that he did not want to leave the biggest league in the world for a second-tier league in the eyes of the majority of experts.
While the Saudi Pro League has attracted many talented young players from major European leagues, their brightest star remains Cristiano Ronaldo, who is 40 years old.
His contract with Al-Nassr expires at the end of June, and he has made moves towards a possible departure.
Saudi Arabia's development model relies on attracting and retaining superstars like Ronaldo, who has undoubtedly played a big part in attracting other players. If the Portuguese superstar leaves this summer, there will be no obvious replacement, especially with Salah and Fernandes both having said no.
The decisions of Fernandes and Salah show that money is sometimes not everything for the world's top players. Prestige, reputation, and high professional quality of major European leagues are still the decisive factors in their decisions.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bruno-fernandes-tu-choi-loi-moi-6-400-ti-dong-cua-al-hilal-20250604090420917.htm
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