Fabinho Negotiations: Al-Ittihad Faces Familiar Challenge
The last time Al-Ittihad tried to trim the wage bill of a cornerstone star, Karim Benzema walked out of the door and straight into the arms of Al-Hilal. Now it is Fabinho’s turn at the negotiating table — and the warning signs are flashing all over Jeddah.
The 32-year-old Brazilian, signed from Liverpool in the summer of 2023 for 46.7 million euros, has seen his contract run down. His deal expired at the end of last season, just as he completed another campaign as the heartbeat of Al-Ameed’s midfield and a pillar of their recent success.
Club officials want him to stay. Desperately. But not on the same money.
A pillar asked to take a cut
According to sports media figure Mohammed Al-Bukairy, Al-Ittihad’s company has stepped in with a proposal: a one-year extension that would keep Fabinho at the club until June 2027.
The problem lies in the numbers.
The offer on the table is worth less in annual salary and benefits than what Fabinho has earned over the past three seasons. For a player who has given the club 111 matches, seven goals, nine assists and a dominant presence in front of the back line, the message feels clear — and not in a good way.
Unsurprisingly, Fabinho and his agent have made their displeasure known, Al-Bukairy reports. The Brazilian’s camp expected recognition, not a reduction.
Al-Bukairy insists the talks have not collapsed. Both sides are still hunting for a figure that keeps Fabinho close to his previous wage level of 25 million euros per year. The gap is financial, but the tension is emotional.
Echoes of Benzema
For Al-Ittihad fans, the script feels uncomfortably familiar.
When the club tried to renew Benzema’s contract on reduced terms, the French striker bristled. Negotiations soured quickly. He refused to accept a downgrade, demanded a contract termination and walked away on a free transfer in the 2026 winter window.
Al-Hilal snapped him up on a deal running until June 2027. What looked like a coup has since turned sour in the capital: Benzema no longer fits into Al-Hilal’s technical plans, and the club has been unable to find a buyer.
Al-Ittihad, though, still live with the memory of how that saga unfolded. A star offended. A relationship broken. A marquee name leaving for nothing.
Now they risk replaying the same drama with the man who anchored their midfield during a golden spell.
Europe, Brazil… or one more chapter in Jeddah?
Fabinho’s stock remains strong. Several Brazilian outlets report interest from Cruzeiro and Palmeiras this summer. Both clubs see the 32-year-old as a ready-made leader in the centre of the pitch.
Yet Brazil is not his first choice. Fabinho is said to be prioritising offers from Europe and Saudi Arabia, a clear signal that he still feels he belongs at the highest financial and competitive level.
That stance gives Al-Ittihad a window — but not a wide one.
This is not a fading squad player clinging to a final contract. This is the midfielder who helped drive Al-Ittihad to a 2024–2025 double, lifting both the Saudi Roshn League and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup. He screened the defence, set the tempo and gave the team a platform to attack. Titles followed.
Letting that profile walk away over a wage dispute would be a sporting risk as much as a financial decision.
A crossroads for club and player
The negotiation now cuts to the core of what Al-Ittihad want to be.
Do they hold firm on a new salary structure and risk losing the spine of their midfield, just as they once lost their headline striker? Or do they bend to keep a proven leader in a dressing room that has already seen high-profile turbulence?
For Fabinho, the choice is equally stark. Accept a lower figure to remain the anchor of a team built partly in his image, or test a market that still values his experience but may not offer the same stage.
Al-Ittihad have been here before. They know what happens when pride, principle and big contracts collide.
This time, can they keep their midfield general without repeating the Benzema mistake?
