Why Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes ‘deserves’ the Premier League Player of the Year award and can he play ‘Harry Kane’?

When spring arrives, our thoughts inevitably turn to this season’s notable players.

Declan Rice and Gabriel form the backbone of Arsenal’s title challenge, which looks set to be the Gunners’ first title since 2004. But should the award be given to the best player regardless of who wins the title?

“He’s there,” Hargreaves said. “I think he’s the best player in the Premier League at the moment in terms of creation and assists.

“If Arsenal win the league, I think it’s going to be Gabriel or Declan Rice. Gabriel is the best defender this season. If Arsenal win, I think it’s going to be one of those two. If not, I think Bruno definitely deserves to win. He’s more of an attacking player than a defender and I think he’s the best outfield player ever.”

statistics to back it up

Fernandes has had a stellar season in the Premier League, but his stat sheet has perhaps been even better.

The Portuguese midfielder is top-ranked in a wide range of categories, despite being in a team that struggled with fluency under coach Ruben Amorim at the start of the season.

Statistic Number Rank Number of Chances Generated 1011 Chances Generated in Open Play 731 Chances Generated in Set Play 28=1 Big Chances Generated 241 Expected Number of Assists 9.081 Number of Assists 161 Assists from Set Plays 91 Passes into the Box 2471

Data: Opta

And it’s not just the fact that he’s top-ranked in the areas listed above, but also the fact that he’s a leader in those areas.

For example, he has something like this:

Double the nearest challenger’s assists (8 times by Rayan Cherki)Created 43 more chances than the next best player (Declan Rice had 58)He created 26 more chances from open play than second place Florian Wirtz (47).

Fernandes names his idol in Manchester United’s midfield, but who has achieved that feat?

Video credit: TNT Sports

Fernandes’ season could be even better

Fernandes’ remarkable season could get even better as Manchester United still have seven games left in the 2025/26 Premier League season.

And he still has a chance to reach Thierry Henry’s record for most assists in a season (20).

However, there is one record held by a fellow Portuguese that will probably prove out of reach.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s 37 goal contribution in a Premier League season remains Manchester United’s all-time record in the competition. Fernandes is currently 23 years old, but could even surpass his highest G+A number at age 30 in 2020-21.

But perhaps Bruno’s best ability is his availability, with the Portuguese schemer missing just three games this season, part of an impressively consistent record that has seen him feature in 94.1% of Manchester United’s games (320 out of 340) since his debut, according to Opta.

‘Let him be creative’ – Carrick says freedom is key to Fernandes’ game

Video credit: TNT Sports

Can Fernandes do ‘Kane’?

Despite his individual talent, Fernandes has yet to win the EFL Cup and the FA Cup once in his six years at Manchester United.

Will he be tempted to aim for silverware later in his career, as Harry Kane did from Tottenham to Bayern Munich in 2023?

Hargreaves said: “It’s tough for Bruno because he’s 31 years old. He’s been an incredible servant. He’s one of the best players Man United have had in the last 10 years.”

“It’s just a shame that the team is not at the level that the team and the players were before. It’s a shame for him.”

“I think he was loyal to the club and it would be interesting if he stayed. I think the club potentially tried to do something last summer.”

“I hope he stays, but I can also understand why a lot of other teams would want him, because he’s very special.”