Cristiano Ronaldo will attempt to persuade Manchester United star to leave the club and join him at Al-Nassr in January: Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr are reportedly interested in signing Bruno Fernandes from Manchester United in January 2026. As per Fichajes.net (via MSN), Ronaldo will try to persuade Fernandes to join the Knight of Najd in the forthcoming winter transfer window.

The Red Devils skipper was a transfer target for Al-Hilal earlier this summer, having been reportedly offered a tax-free contract by the Riyadh-based club. A proposal which would have seen Fernandes earn £700,000 weekly, including bonuses. The midfielder, however, rejected the offer and chose to remain at Old Trafford.

Despite an unsuccessful transfer pursuit by their Riyadh rivals, Al-Nassr are hoping to capitalize on Ronaldo's relationship with Fernandes and sign him in January 2026. The 31-year-old has been an important player and leader for the Premier League giants despite their inconsistency in recent seasons.

Fernandes has scored 99 goals and registered 86 assists for the Red Devils in 294 appearances. While he remains an important player under Ruben Amorim's stewardship, Manchester United might be tempted to sell him if they receive a decent offer.

The midfielder's signing could improve the credibility of the Saudi Pro League if Cristiano Ronaldo can persuade Fernandes to join Al-Nassr. He remains contracted at Old Trafford till June 2027.

"Cristiano Ronaldo has always been an inspiration for me" - Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United v Burnley - Premier League - Source: Getty

Bruno Fernandes once revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo has always inspired him. He went on to claim that it was likewise a dream to play with the 40-year-old at Old Trafford.

During an interview in November 2022, Fernandes reflected on what it felt like playing alongside Ronaldo. He said (via BBC Sports):

"Cristiano has always been an inspiration for me, it was a dream to be able to play with him at Man Utd, but we know nothing lasts forever. It was good while it lasted but we have to respect his decision, regardless of us agreeing or not. We know it might be difficult to make decisions but these must be for the best of our families."

Fernandes and Ronaldo were teammates at Old Trafford before the latter terminated his contract with the Red Devils following a mutual agreement with the club in November 2022. Ronaldo scored three goals that Fernandes created during their time together at Manchester United.

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Abel is an European football journalist who focuses primarily on analysis pieces and preview copies at Sportskeeda. A B.Sc degree holder in Economics, he has a previous work experience of 3 years – a year at Opera News Hub where he was promoted as a 'Verified Sports Writer,’ and over two years at Sportskeeda as a revenue-share writer, where his writing skills have ultimately led him to be integrated into the in-house team.

A Manchester United fan who grew up in a family of Red Devils supporters, he started his journey as an ardent football fan in his childhood. He used to spend hours watching the sport with his family and developed a knack for writing about the beautiful game over the years.

He is a huge admirer of Paul Pogba owing to the midfielder's ability to thread passes from anywhere on the pitch and his favorite manager is Jose Mourinho due to the Portuguese's tactical mind. He feels France's triumph in 2018 is his all-time favorite World Cup moment, and reckons Lamine Yamal and Endrick could replicate the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Abel always strives to verify information, especially statistics, before penning a word and offers constructive but not defamatory criticisms. Apart from Europe's top five leagues, he follows the Eredivisie and the Primeira Liga. He loves to spend his free time playing video games like EA FC and watching movies.

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Edited by Abel Yisa