Bruno Fernandes is back in his best position and more effective than ever

Old Trafford has grown accustomed to turbulence, but amid the managerial churn and a 15th-placed finish that plumbed new depths, one constant has continued to sparkle: Bruno Fernandes. At 32, the Portuguese playmaker is enjoying the sharpest form of his United career, freed from the tactical shackles that had threatened to blunt his influence and restored to the role in which he can dismantle opponents.

The numbers are staggering. In 315 appearances since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020, Fernandes has contributed 104 goals and 96 assists, reaching 200 combined goal involvements 25 games faster than Cristiano Ronaldo and well ahead of club legends Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. This season alone he has crafted 78 chances—27 more than any other Premier League player and 46 clear of United’s next-most creative team-mate, Amad Diallo. With 12 assists already and 14 league fixtures remaining, Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s joint-record of 20 is in his sights.

Yet those figures only tell half the story. For the opening months of the campaign, Ruben Amorim’s dogged commitment to a back-three system forced Fernandes to operate in a deeper, more restrained midfield berth. The tactical experiment dulled United’s most potent weapon: instead of threading passes between the lines or timing late bursts into the box, Fernandes was tasked with screening space and tracking runners. The result was a 3-0 derby humiliation by Manchester City in September, a game in which he was isolated from the areas where he can inflict damage.

Michael Carrick’s interim appointment in January corrected the course. Fernandes was immediately reinstated as the central No. 10, liberated from extensive defensive duties and encouraged to roam. The transformation was instant: in Carrick’s first match in charge, a 2-0 victory over City, Fernandes created the opener after earlier having a goal and assist chalked off for offside. Gary Neville hailed the display as “Cantona-esque,” noting that United’s resurgence hinged on getting their talismanic midfielder on the ball in advanced positions.

Since that tactical tweak, Fernandes has supplied six assists in eight matches across all competitions and created 27 of his 78 chances in the last six league games alone. The team’s attacking fluency has returned, and with it a renewed belief that the club’s identity—built around a dynamic, creative No. 10—can still thrive in the modern era.

Off the pitch, Fernandes’ commitment remains unwavering. In November he revealed that United had been open to his departure to Saudi Arabia, a suggestion that stung the midfielder who chose to remain for footballing and family reasons. “I genuinely like the club,” he explained, a sentiment supporters have reciprocated with renewed adulation as he continues to carry the side through another transitional campaign.

Consistency has been Fernandes’ hallmark through six different managerial reigns and countless crises. He has hit double figures for both goals and assists in every full season at the club, and the current campaign threatens to be his most influential yet. If he maintains this trajectory, Henry and De Bruyne’s assist benchmark could fall, and Manchester United might just rediscover the attacking swagger that once defined them.

Bruno Fernandes is back where he belongs—between the lines, at the heart of everything—and English football is on notice.