Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes’ recent comments have not sat well with the club. The Portuguese maestro has been one of the Red Devils’ best signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Signed from Sporting in January 2020 in a reported £46.6 million deal, Fernandes has been worth his weight in gold so far. He was outstanding under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and has retained his importance under every manager since.
The 31 year old has been deployed in a deeper role this season to accommodate Matheus Cunha in attack. Fernandes has not batted an eyelid, and has churned out one impressive performance after another so far.
One of the best midfielders in the Premier League
Amorim’s decision to drop United’s creator-in-chief to a pivot position this season has raised quite a few eyebrows. However, the Portuguese Magnifico has been pulling the strings from deep this season, and remains one of the league’s most influential players.
Fernandes has registered five goals and seven assists in 17 games across competitions for the Premier League giants this season, starting every game in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season
Competition Appearances Goals Assists Yellow Cards Red Cards Minutes Played
Premier League 16 5 7 2 – 1,432'
EFL Cup 1 – – – – 45'
Total 17 5 7 2 – 1,477'
Source: Transfermarkt.
According to Squawka, the Portuguese is the first player to create 50 chances across Europe’s top five leagues this campaign. However, things could have been quite different, as the player was heavily linked with an exit from the Theatre of Dreams this summer.
While Fernandes ended up staying, he recently stated that the Red Devils wanted him to leave and said that he was hurt by the club’s stance. The player’s comments have caused an uproar among fans, and a recent update has shed light on the Premier League giants’ response to the matter.
United left unimpressed
According to TEAMtalk, United are unhappy with their skipper’s comments. The Red Devils maintained throughout the summer that they wanted Fernandes to stay, so his recent words have hurt the club. Speaking to the publication, a source said: “This has not gone down very well at all.”
“The owners, the footballing top brass do not know where this has come from. They really have pushed back at this sort of thing in recent months and are far from happy with how this has come about.”
Meanwhile, the Red Devils reportedly insist that they did not invite any bid for the player from Saudi Arabia, and that all approaches were led by the player’s entourage. However, the source added that United are ready to move on from the incident. The Premier League giants are reportedly placing their trust in the Portuguese, and are not looking to offload him at the moment.
Meanwhile, a recent report relayed by The Peoples Person states that Al-Ittihad have stepped up their efforts to secure the player, further adding to the intrigue surrounding his future, especially since his contract expires in 2027.
Final Thoughts
United have been quite impressive this season following a summer of improvements, but there’s no denying that Bruno Fernandes remains their main man. The Portuguese’s qualities on the ball, his work ethic and high football intelligence make him indispensable to Ruben Amorim’s plans.
INEOS will have to make a few tough decisions as they prepare to get the club back to their heyday, but the Portuguese maestro’s future should not be one of them. The four-time United Player of the Year’s current form suggests that the club are better advised to keep hold of him for as long as possible.
Bruno Fernandes’ game by numbers vs. Bournemouth:
79 total touches
52 passes attempted
41 passes completed
11 passes into the final third
10 defensive contributions
6 crosses
5 chances created
3 shots
1 assist
1 goal
Deserved to be on a winning team. ⚽️🅰️ pic.twitter.com/goA4Czu91U
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 15, 2025
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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