Fabinho’s Contract Negotiations with Al-Ittihad: A Balancing Act

The spine of Al-Ittihad’s midfield is suddenly a negotiation table.

Fabinho, 32, the Brazilian anchor who arrived from Liverpool in the summer of 2023 for 46.7 million euros, is out of contract. His deal ran down at the end of last season, and now one of the club’s most reliable pillars is standing at a crossroads with the Jeddah giants.

Club officials want him to stay. Desperately so. But not at any price.

A Renewal… on Reduced Terms

Sports media figure Mohammed Al-Bukairy has confirmed that Al-Ittihad’s company is pushing to extend Fabinho’s contract by a further year, which would take him through to June 2027. On paper, that sounds like faith in a player who has been central to everything the Tigers have built in midfield.

The detail tells a different story.

According to Al-Bukairy, the offer on the table comes with a lower annual salary and reduced benefits compared to what Fabinho has pocketed over the last three seasons. For a player who has given the club control, balance, and a platform to win, that cut has not gone down well.

Fabinho and his agent have made their displeasure clear. The camp around the Brazilian believes his performances and influence merit something closer to his existing package, reported at around 25 million euros per year.

The club, though, is pushing back.

Talks remain active, Al-Bukairy insists, with both sides hunting for a number that does not shatter the wage structure but still respects Fabinho’s status. The gap is financial, not emotional. Al-Ittihad want him. Fabinho is open to staying. The calculator, not the dressing room, is the problem.

Echoes of Benzema

This is not the first time Al-Ittihad have danced on this tightrope.

The tension around Fabinho’s renewal brings back sharp memories of Karim Benzema’s stormy exit. The French striker, dubbed “the Government” by the fans, also reached a renewal point and was met with an offer on reduced financial terms.

That did not end well for Al-Ittihad.

Benzema reacted with anger, shut the door on further negotiations, and demanded a contract termination. He got it. He then walked away on a free in the 2026 winter window and joined Al-Hilal on a deal running until June 2027.

The twist? Al-Hilal now want to move him on, with no place for him in their technical plans and no buyer yet willing to take on the package. A marquee signing turned into a financial and sporting puzzle.

Al-Ittihad will be painfully aware of how quickly a renewal saga can spiral out of control. They cannot afford a second Benzema-style fallout in the space of a few seasons, especially with a player as central to their structure as Fabinho.

Interest From Brazil, Priority Elsewhere

While negotiations rumble on in Jeddah, the market has taken note.

Several Brazilian newspapers report that Cruzeiro and Palmeiras are monitoring the situation closely and are keen on the 32-year-old this summer. A return home would offer Fabinho a different rhythm, a new chapter after years at the top level in Europe and Saudi Arabia.

For now, that path sits behind his main priorities. Fabinho is said to be giving precedence to offers from European and Saudi clubs, a clear signal that he still sees himself competing at the sharp end of the game rather than winding down.

Al-Ittihad, then, are not just negotiating against their own budget. They are negotiating against time and against the pull of other projects.

A Champion at the Heart of a Double

The numbers behind the debate are not just on a payslip.

Since arriving in the summer of 2023, Fabinho has played 111 matches for Al-Ittihad across all competitions. Seven goals, nine assists, but those figures barely scratch the surface of his influence. He has been the screen, the metronome, the safety net.

His fingerprints are all over the club’s 2024–2025 double. Al-Ittihad lifted the Saudi Roshn League and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup with Fabinho anchoring midfield, dictating tempo, and providing the platform for their attacking stars to shine.

You do not replace that sort of presence easily. You certainly do not replace it cheaply.

A Decision With Consequences

So the standoff continues. A club trying to recalibrate its finances. A player who has earned the right to demand respect on paper as well as on the pitch. A fanbase that has already seen one idol walk away after a similar dispute.

This time, do Al-Ittihad bend to keep their midfield general, or risk watching another cornerstone of their recent success walk out the door?