BRUNO FERNANDES and Harry Kane are top of the Saudi Pro League’s wish list as officials prepare for life after Cristiano Ronaldo.
With Ronaldo’s blockbuster contract at Al Nassr set to end in 2027, Saudi chiefs are already planning a new wave of big-name signings to carry the league into the next era and both Fernandes and Kane are seen as marquee targets.
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SunSport reported last summer that the Manchester United captain rejected a £700,000-a-week offer from Al Hilal this summer.
But TalkSport are reporting that he left the door open to a future switch — telling suitors he wouldn’t leave before the 2026 World Cup.
The report on TalkSport adds that Fernandes isn’t the only Portuguese star in Saudi’s sights.
Bernardo Silva is also being lined up for a huge deal once his Manchester City contract expires next summer.
Silva was the subject of talks with Saudi dealmakers back in 2023, when Al Hilal offered £500k-a-week and a £2million sign-on fee, but the midfielder chose to stay in Manchester.
That decision was partly motivated by his desire to play in the 2026 World Cup, but interest has not gone away — with Al Ahli and Al Qadsiah now leading the chase.
With Ronaldo turning 40 in 2025 and his deal expiring two years later, Saudi Pro League bosses are keen to find new icons who can maintain the global momentum he helped spark.
Sources say officials are pushing for Silva to sign a four-year contract to align with the league’s TV rights cycle, which runs until 2029 and has already delivered a 20 per cent boost in revenue.
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Harry Kane also remains a long-term Saudi target. The England skipper has a £56million release clause valid from 2026 and has been closely monitored since his move to Bayern Munich.
However, Kane is said to be reluctant to join the Saudi project — for now — preferring to chase Champions League glory and international honours in Europe.
This summer saw Saudi clubs spend over £1.5billion on players, wages and fees, but many top-tier targets turned down moves, wary of the timing ahead of the World Cup in North America.
While Darwin Nunez did join Al Hilal for £46million, the likes of Victor Osimhen and Benjamin Sesko slipped through the net.
Fernandes could have ended up at Al Ittihad, but the club couldn’t make space for another foreign over-21 player, with both Fabinho and N’Golo Kante staying put.
The report says the Saudi Ministry of Sport is now demanding clear returns on investment, signalling a more strategic approach after a chaotic summer.
Even so, a new splurge is expected in 2026, with officials targeting a handful of elite-level players to boost the league’s global appeal.
Al Ahli, the reigning Asian champions, are said to be preparing a world-record salary package for Vinicius Jr in a bold bid to tempt the Brazilian from Real Madrid.
Alongside him, younger talents like Nottingham Forest‘s Morgan Gibbs-White and Chelsea’s Andrey Santos are also under serious consideration.
With Ronaldo’s era slowly winding down, the Saudi Pro League appears ready to reload — and Fernandes and Kane are firmly in their sights.
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