Talismanic. Unequivocal. Leader. These are just a few words to describe Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes, Manchester United’s undisputed best player since Sir Alex Ferguson left. Albeit, there hasn’t been much competition, but even if there were, it would have to be a remarkable feat to surpass what Bruno has done for the club. His performances this season have only reinforced that claim, and we are currently witnessing what could be his best season as a footballer yet.
Before launching into this article, I feel obliged to offer a disclaimer. For all the incredible work Bruno has done, there is a caveat when compared to United legends of the past; his accomplishments dwindle in size. A league title, for example, has long evaded Bruno, whereas Ryan Giggs won 13 himself. There is a seismic gap between the achievements of players past and the current crop. And although Bruno may not have the trophies to show for his ability, you could argue that makes his work even more impressive.
The Eve of Signing
So, where did it all begin? Fresh life was being breathed into Manchester United just as Bruno arrived. Ole was at the wheel and the United attack was flourishing with Martial, Rashford and Greenwood. 2019 was filled with promise as the New Year rolled round. It was a quiet January transfer window for United, as per. However, on the penultimate day of the window, United had a bid accepted from Sporting CP for the services of Bruno Fernandes. Despite interest from Tottenham, United managed to convince Bruno to join, and the rest is history.
Interestingly, this transfer was one of the first major moves covered by superstar journalist Fabrizio Romano. He followed the deal from start to finish, and United fans didn’t have to wait long to see their new signing in action. Bruno wasted no time getting started, providing an assist on his home debut against Chelsea, whipping in a lovely corner met by Harry Maguire’s forehead, something we’ve seen many times over the years.
Early Days and First Season
Quickly enough, Bruno became indispensable to the Red Devils. His creativity and work in the final third was something United had been missing for a long time. In his first few games, he was already drawing comparisons to creative players of the past: think Mata, Verón and Ángel Di María (maybe less the last two and more just Mata). After his first season, it was clear he was going to surpass all of them with ease.
That creativity through the middle has long evaded United. Ryan Giggs, for all his brilliance, preferred the left wing. Eric Cantona ostensibly played as an auxiliary centre-forward but was deployed wherever he pleased, and rightfully so. Wayne Rooney, similar to Bruno, would play behind a nine and score mind-boggling goals, but the similarities stop there. Bruno was more so cut from the same cloth as the David Silvas, Mesut Özils and, of course, Kevin De Bruynes; a comparison made relentlessly during his time in the Premier League about who was the better playmaker.
Season by Season
Bruno finished that first half-season, from January 2020, with 12 goals and 8 assists in just 22 appearances across all competitions, an incredibly impressive feat for a midfielder who had barely had time to settle. FPL players lauded him as a new king, and the nickname “Pernandes” was endearingly coined by rival fans, born from the midfielder’s remarkable record from the penalty spot.
In his first full season, (2020–21) he truly announced himself on the biggest stage, bagging an opening day hat-trick against Leeds as United ran riot at Old Trafford. 18 goals and 12 assists in 37 Premier League appearances alone. One of the finest individual campaigns any United player had produced in years. He followed that up in 2021–22, with 10 goals and 6 assists in the league, a season that looked ordinary by his own extraordinary standards, though he remained the top assist provider in the Champions League that year with 7, even after an uninspiring exit to _ in the early stages.
The 2022–23 campaign saw Bruno arguably at his creative peak. He created more chances (119) in the Premier League than any United player since the 2003–04 season, finishing the year with 14 goals and 13 assists across all competitions, and picking up his first trophy with the club, the EFL Cup, beating Newcastle United 2–0 at Wembley.
2023–24 brought further individual excellence despite United’s turbulent campaign. Bruno registered 15 goals and 13 assists in all competitions, leading United’s scoring contributions charts, winning his third Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, and captaining the side to FA Cup glory, a penalty in the semi-final and a deft assist in the final as United beat noisy neighbours Manchester City 2–1.
Last season, 2024–25, was arguably his most complete to date, finishing with 19 goals and 18 assists across all competitions. He scored a stunning hat-trick against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, earned his fifth Premier League Player of the Month award, and was nominated for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, a recognition of just how far his stock had risen. Despite the club’s troubles, Bruno has turned up season after season and consistently provided goals & assists.
The Case for His Best Season Yet
And yet, what we are seeing from Bruno Fernandes right now could be him at his very best. He recently crossed 100 goals and 100 assists for the club, doing so faster than Ronaldo at Real Madrid and Messi at Barcelona respectively. A remarkable milestone achieved against a backdrop of United’s sustained decline as a footballing powerhouse. He has dragged different iterations of this team to finals, top-four finishes and, at points, away from the relegation zone entirely. He has made woeful strikers look clinical. He could have gone to any club in the world and won a plethora of trophies and awards, but he stayed at United regardless. A true captain.
This season in particular, he has already picked up his sixth Premier League Player of the Month award and recently set a new Manchester United record for the most assists in a single Premier League campaign, surpassing David Beckham’s previous mark of 15 set back in 1999–2000. He is currently sitting on 16 league assists (as of 8/04/26), and with seven games remaining, could feasibly challenge the all-time Premier League record of 20, jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne. Once again, this is even more impressive given that Ruben Amorim deployed him deeper in midfield for large parts of the season. Simultaneously, he has scored some incredibly important goals, not least the free-kick against Bournemouth to maintain United’s Old Trafford half-time record.
“He has dragged different iterations of this team to finals, top-four finishes and, at points, away from the relegation zone entirely.”
Nobody’s perfect and Bruno is no different. His petulance, his tenacity and, for lack of a better term, his “whinging” have at points dampened the perception of him. When United were embarrassed 7–0 by Liverpool, clips of him appearing to ask to be substituted went viral online. Bruno refuted this, but his general behaviour when things aren’t going his way borders on childlike at times. On the flip side, some fans see this as passion, an unwavering belief in his ability of the sort required of all elite players. We all handle our emotions differently, from his Portuguese counterpart Cristiano Ronaldo to the more stoic approach of someone like N’Golo Kanté.
Not many players hold a candle to Bruno in the Premier League this season. Haaland was impressive earlier in the campaign, Semenyo has been consistently excellent and new arrivals Cherki and Igor Thiago (in his first full season) have settled seamlessly into English football. But none of them have been anywhere near Bruno. If he maintains this form, the PFA Player of the Year feels like a near certainty. And if Portugal go all the way and win the World Cup this summer… could we genuinely be looking at a Ballon d’Or? Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. But for a player who has been divisive for all sorts of reasons, the overwhelming majority will agree that his performances this season have been nothing short of sensational.
Who knows what the summer holds for Bruno. International glory or, as has been rumoured, a move to Saudi Arabia. What we do know is that the season he is giving us right now will be remembered for years to come.
Sources: Manchester United FC official website; FBref / Sports Reference; Opta (via Premier League); Wikipedia; FotMob. All statistics correct as of 8 April 2026. Season appearance totals are approximate where full-season all-competition breakdowns are not publicly confirmed for every campaign.
