Bruno Fernandes has a mouthwatering offer to leave Manchester United and the club may have to consider who would replace him should he take the riches available to him in Saudi Arabia
Manchester United face the daunting prospect of losing Bruno Fernandes this summer as Saudi Arabia interest ramps up. The Portuguese playmaker has continued to be the talisman at Old Trafford.
He enjoyed one of his best years despite the Red Devils enduring a horror campaign. His exploits have seen Al-Hilal stand up and take note. They've tabled an offer - but want an answer within days to leave the player and the club little time.
Having held extensive talks with Fernandes' representatives, the Daily Mail report that the Saudi Pro League side have given him a final 'take it or leave it' offer. He has 72 hours to reply, with the Saudi side prepared to quadruple his salary with a package worth £700,000 per week.
If he agrees to move then Al-Hilal will submit an offer to United worth around £100million. That would represent a huge profit as the club look to rebuild.
Ruben Amorim has previously claimed Fernandes is not going anywhere. He said: "No, it's not going to happen. He's not going anywhere because I've already told him! I want Bruno here because we want to win the Premier League again, so we want the best players to continue with us. He's 30, but he's still so young, because he plays 55 games every season. Between assists and goals, he's there for 30 at least, so he's the type of player we want here and he's not going anywhere."
However money talks and, given the amount of cash United have missed out on, their owners may see it as good business to take the money and reinvest. But where would they turn their attention? Mirror Football takes a look at who might be on the United radar.
Eberechi Eze
According to ESPN the Red Devils are interested in the Crystal Palace ace, who has just been key to the club's FA Cup success. His performances at Selhurst Park have helped him earn England recognition, but the Eagles will fight hard to keep the winger and can also use the leverage of - unlike United - being in Europe. They lost Michael Olise 12 months ago and will be loathed to see another of their main men depart the club, but a mammoth fee could turn heads in south London.
Rayan Cherki
The Lyon man showed how good he can be against United themselves as the French side threatened to down Amorim's side in the Europa League. The 21-year-old has come through the ranks in Lyon and the way he made the Ligue 1 side tick will have raised eyebrows. He is understood to have a release clause in his contract of around £20-25m, which is huge value for a player of his quality with Premier League links continuing to ramp up.
Bryan Mbeumo
The Brentford ace is reportedly seen as a potential back-up to Eze. Mbeumo has just scored a career-best 20 goals in the Premier League and the Bees have shown they will sell their top players for the right fee.
There's a huge profit to be made on the Frenchman, who signed for the club when they were in the Championship. Mbeumo is a different player to Fernandes, but would add a different dimension.
Victor Osimhen
The Nigerian wouldn't be a like for like replacement for Fernandes, but he would go a long way to replacing the goals he's scored. Osimhen is all but certain to leave Napoli this summer and United may be able to afford him should they cash in on their Portuguese playmaker. One thing Osimhen guarantees is goals - which has been a huge issue in Manchester.