Will Bruno Fernandes be the Premier League's best player this season?

During Manchester United's turbulent season, Bruno Fernandes has reached a performance peak never seen before. He merits being named the Premier League's finest player this season.

Simply observing Bruno Fernandes' performances in March matches against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa reveals the Portuguese midfielder's caliber. Both teams attempted to lock down the midfield area, yet he still scored one goal and provided three assists across those two games.

Bruno is having his most outstanding season at Manchester United

Bruno is currently the creative engine under Michael Carrick and continues to excel. Even during Ruben Amorim's challenging 2024/25 period, Bruno managed to achieve 19 goals and 19 assists.

Bruno's 2025/26 season is a tale of two roles: one under Ruben Amorim and another under Carrick. Merging these "two Brunos" has led to a season worthy of the Premier League Player of the Year award, and he fully deserves that honor.

Currently, Bruno leads the league in assists with 16, far ahead of runners-up like Ryan Cherki (10) or Jarrod Bowen (8). One parting gift Amorim may have left for Manchester United is allowing Bruno to showcase versatility in a deeper central midfield role, making him a more complete player.

Playing in that role, Bruno controls the match, regulates tempo, and orchestrates attacks rather than finishing them. While Bruno gives Manchester United more control and helps transition from defense to attack—a definite plus—moving a uniquely creative player away from the goal area feels somewhat wasteful.

Since returning to his preferred role under manager Carrick, Bruno has made 6 assists from live-ball situations, compared to 2 under Amorim. Bruno is back doing what he excels at: creating chances from live play that other players cannot.

Under Carrick, Manchester United is a creative collective with an "attack-first" philosophy. They outscore opponents by leveraging the abundant attacking talent they possess.

There were many matches in Amorim's era where Manchester United struggled to break down a deep, solid defensive block, such as the Europa League final or the game against Everton when the opponent had only 10 men.

But with Manchester United under Carrick, it's different. When Bruno pushes forward, even in tight spaces against Bournemouth, his presence draws defenders and opens up space for Manchester United's other attacking players.

Bruno is superior to the rest of the Premier League

With Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Bruno in Manchester United's attack, often any of this trio drops back to support ball progression. The dynamic rotation in the attack gives Fernandes the "free" role he has always desired.

Statistics this season show Bruno is creating 1.3 big chances per 90 minutes and 4.5 chances per 90 minutes, the highest rates in his Manchester United career.

Interestingly, Bruno is making more passes into the penalty area than ever while having the least touches since arriving at Old Trafford. This is because Manchester United now has quality attacking players.

But how does Bruno compare to other Premier League Player of the Year candidates? Looking at some other predicted contenders, such as Dominik Szoboszlai, Declan Rice, and Martín Zubimendi, reveals why Bruno is the deserving winner.

According to ESPN, in terms of forward-passing statistics, chance creation, and passes into the penalty area, Bruno far surpasses his rivals. Only Rayan Cherki's creativity metrics at Manchester City come close to Bruno, but Cherki has played just over 60 minutes in 10 appearances this season, far less than Bruno's minutes. It's also worth noting Cherki often plays as a right winger and doesn't engage in build-up play as much as Manchester United's midfielder.

Remember Bruno played far from goal until January, when Carrick arrived. Even then, he maintained average touches in the opponent's penalty area and had more passes ending in the final third than any other candidate.

Statistical data indicates we are witnessing Bruno at his creative peak: creating more and better chances than ever, while becoming more efficient in the process. He has become the conductor of Manchester United's promising new attack.

This season has proven Bruno can do everything, regardless of his position on the pitch, and that is why he is the Premier League's best player.