Bruno Fernandes was at his sparkling best as Manchester United beat Aston Villa and Michael Carrick was full of praise for the Portuguese playmaker.
After a goalless first half at Old Trafford, Manchester United burst into life after the break to beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes was the creative catalyst, as usual. The 31-year-old added two more assists to his tally, overtaking David Beckham’s record in the process for most assists at United in one season.
Bruno Fernandes looks on during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in 2026 in Manchester, England.
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Michael Carrick agrees with Ruben Amorim on keeping Bruno Fernandes
Last summer, Fernandes was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, but in a huge show of loyalty, he rejected a move and stayed put at Old Trafford.
As the season progressed, Fernandes dropped an explosive interview where he claimed that he felt unwanted by United chiefs and sensed they would have preferred to sell him.
Ruben Amorim intervened to keep Fernandes, and the 31-year-old star mentioned that the former head coach did play a pivotal role in his decision to stay.
When Michael Carrick was asked about Bruno Fernandes’ future after beating Villa, he adopted a similar stance.
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“In terms of the club and moving forward, it’s difficult for me to get involved in too much of that,” Carrick said, as quoted by ESPN.
“Bruno’s definitely not someone we’d want to lose, I can say that, but the summer and beyond that, it’s difficult for me to kind of go too far with that, but certainly, he’s important for us and he’s definitely not one we would want to lose.”
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Man Utd must listen to Michael Carrick and keep Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes is now up to 16 assists in the Premier League in 2025/26, meaning he is just four away from matching the single-season record set by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
He is playing some of his best football since arriving in Manchester in 2020 and is a frontrunner for the Premier League Player of the Season award.
READ MORE: Benjamin Sesko scored again, but Bruno Fernandes reaction to another moment shows he shouldn’t start
To put it bluntly, Fernandes is priceless. United play through their captain at every given opportunity and he has proved this season that he is still among the best in Europe in terms of creativity and output.
Ineos are prioritising youth development at United as part of their long-term project, but there is no better role model on or off the pitch than Fernandes. He must be kept at Old Trafford at all costs.
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