Fabinho's Standoff Puts Al-Ittihad at Risk of Losing a Key Player

Al-Ittihad know exactly what happens when a superstar feels undervalued. They lived it with Karim Benzema. Now the same storm is gathering around Fabinho.

The 32-year-old Brazilian, a pillar of the Jeddah club’s midfield since arriving from Liverpool in the summer of 2023 for 46.7 million euros, is out of contract after last season. On the pitch, he has been everything they hoped for: 111 games in all competitions, seven goals, nine assists, and the heartbeat of the side that delivered the 2024-2025 double – the Saudi Roshn League and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.

Off the pitch, things are far less smooth.

A renewal the club can’t afford to lose – or mishandle

Sports media figure Mohammed Al-Bukairy confirmed that Al-Ittihad’s company is pushing to extend Fabinho’s deal for one more year, taking it through to the end of June 2027. The intention is clear: keep the anchor of the midfield, keep the structure of the team, keep a leader who already knows what it takes to win in Jeddah.

But the numbers on the table tell a different story.

According to Al-Bukairy, the offer Fabinho received comes in below what he has earned over the past three seasons, both in annual salary and benefits. For a player of his status, at this stage of his career, that is not a small detail. It is the whole conversation.

Fabinho and his agent have made their displeasure known. Not behind closed doors, not in whispers, but clearly enough that it has filtered into the media. The message is simple: a key man in a title-winning side expects to be treated – and paid – like one.

Al-Bukairy insists negotiations are still alive, with both sides trying to land on a figure close to his previous wage of 25 million euros a year. That is the line in the sand. Al-Ittihad want to bend it. Fabinho wants them to respect it.

Brazil is calling – but Fabinho’s eyes look elsewhere

While the talks drag on, the market does not wait.

Several Brazilian newspapers report that Cruzeiro and Palmeiras are circling, both keen to tempt the 32-year-old back home this summer. Those are serious names, serious projects, and they know Fabinho would walk into their midfields as a ready-made leader.

Yet for now, Brazil is Plan B.

Fabinho is said to be giving priority to European and Saudi clubs. He has already proved he can dominate in the Saudi game. He knows the league, the rhythm, the pressure. He also knows his value in that ecosystem. Walking away from that, especially after a double-winning season, is not a decision he will take lightly.

But if Al-Ittihad continue to push a reduced package, they risk turning a negotiation into a rupture.

The Benzema lesson hangs over Jeddah

The mood around Fabinho’s camp has an uncomfortable echo at King Abdullah Sports City.

Benzema’s departure still stings. The French striker, nicknamed “the Government”, left Al-Ittihad on a free transfer in the 2026 winter window to join Al-Hilal, slamming the door on a renewal that the club had tried to structure on reduced financial terms. What began as a cost-control exercise ended as a public saga.

Al-Ittihad wanted to extend Benzema, but not on his original numbers. He felt insulted, pushed back hard, and ultimately demanded a contract termination to walk away. The club lost not just a marquee name, but also control of the narrative.

Benzema then signed with Al-Hilal on a deal running until June 2027. Ironically, the capital club now want to move him on, with no place for him on a technical level and no buyer yet found. It is a reminder that big contracts can quickly become burdens.

For Al-Ittihad, though, the lesson is different: when you build your project around big personalities, you cannot afford to mishandle their exits or their renewals. The scars linger.

A midfield cornerstone at a crossroads

Fabinho is not a luxury piece. He is the structure.

Since the summer of 2023 he has been the shield in front of the defence, the first pass into attack, the organiser when games threatened to drift. His influence ran through Al-Ittihad’s 2024-2025 double, stabilising the team when the pressure rose and giving the attacking players the freedom to decide matches.

Losing that kind of presence is not just about replacing a name on the team sheet. It is about ripping out a reference point the dressing room trusts.

That is why the current stand-off feels so delicate. Al-Ittihad’s management are trying to recalibrate the wage bill, to avoid another Benzema-style financial weight. Fabinho, with offers and interest in the background, knows this might be the last major contract of his career and wants the club to show exactly how much they value him.

Talks, for now, continue. The figures are being pushed, pulled, reworked. Everyone insists they want the same outcome.

But as the memory of Benzema’s exit still hangs over Jeddah, one question sharpens: can Al-Ittihad keep their midfield general on their terms, or are they about to watch another cornerstone walk away at the peak of their ambitions?