Manchester United’s long-standing interest in Roger Fernandes has ended after Al-Ittihad struck a €30 million deal to sign the S.C. Braga winger, Fabrizio Romano reveals.
The Flying Portuguese
The Red Devils were linked with Fernandes earlier this year as an alternative to Geovany Quenda – the Sporting CP wonderkid who rose to prominence in Lisbon under Ruben Amorim.
A deal for Quenda, 18, proved difficult to seal with the youngster eventually signing for Chelsea for £44m. but remaining with Sporting on loan for the 2025/26 campaign – an option United would not have been willing to match.
Fernandes, 19, offered a cheaper option than Quenda with the winger having firmly established himself as one of the trickiest operators in Liga Portugal last season.
A price of around €25m was mooted to secure the Braga starlet with his excellent work rate making him an intriguing prospect for the right wing-back position at Old Trafford.
Amorim is believed to be a big fan of Fernandes with the 40-year-old coach a firm believer in inverted wing-backs with outstanding dribbling capabilities and speed – two of the Fernandes’ best attributes.
Saudi swoop after United focus elsewhere
United’s interest in Fernandes continued over the summer with scouts dispatched to the U-21 European Championship to track his performances with Portugal.
However, the signing of Bryan Mbeumo, which pushed Amad into the wing-back position, effectively ended a pursuit of the 19-year-old winger, with two superior options in both areas of United’s right-hand side.
A quiet summer ensued, which eventually allowed Al-Ittihad to swoop for Fernandes as Romano reveals Braga have accepted a €30m offer from the Saudi Pro League side.
🚨🟡⚫️ Roger Fernandes to Al Ittihad, here we go! Deal in place for fee over €30m as exclusively revealed.
Final details ahead of signatures in the next 24h. pic.twitter.com/aKcmnZm9UT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 3, 2025
Tweet: “Roger Fernandes to Al Ittihad, here we go! Deal in place for fee over €30m as exclusively revealed. Final details ahead of signatures in the next 24h.”
Players who make the transition from a European side to Saudi Arabia rarely last long in their new league long, however, as the recent return of former Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran demonstrates.
It would be no surprise to see Fernandes back plying his trade back in Europe in the near future. But, for now, United have missed out on a target firmly admired by their head coach.
Feature image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
