Bruno Fernandes is more important to Man Utd than prime Cristiano Ronaldo - and the CLEAR Premier League Player of the Year

Ronaldo notched a staggering 218 goal involvements in 346 appearances for the Red Devils, and is, in the eyes of many, the greatest player to ever grace the hallowed Old Trafford turf. It is strange, then, that Fernandes is not held up in a similar light, given that he is only 10 behind Ronaldo's tally, having featured in 27 fewer games.

Of course, United's three Premier League titles and Champions League triumph between 2007 and 2009 give Ronaldo the edge. However, his overall contribution did not outweigh those made by the likes of Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Rio Ferdinand, or Edwin van der Sar. 

That was a team built to deliver tangible success, with harmony in the dressing room. Fernandes has never had that luxury. He has been the only consistently brilliant performer in the squad over the last six years. Even in Ronaldo's homecoming campaign in 2021-22, in which he demanded the lead striker role and constant service, Fernandes was only three shy of his international colleague's combined total of 27 goals and assists.

United finished sixth that season, eighth in 2023-24, and they dropped to a horrifying new low of 15th last term. The fact that Fernandes has been so brilliant despite the constant turbulence is truly remarkable. Ronaldo couldn't do the same in the face of adversity, as proven when he forced his way out at the start of Erik ten Hag's ill-fated reign.

There have been even more hurdles for Fernandes to clear in 2025-26, and yet somehow he has elevated his game again. His influence did not dwindle at all when Ruben Amorim inexplicably turned him into a holding midfielder, and he's been magnificent since being restored to his favoured No.10 slot by Michael Carrick. 

Aston Villa were the latest team who were unable to be overwhelmed by Fernandes' genius, as they fell to a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday. United's captain posted 71 touches, six key passes, 15 ball carries and six recoveries in another all-action display that made all the difference.

His superb corner delivery for Casemiro to node home broke the deadlock in what had been a frustrating game for the hosts to that point, and he provided the inch-perfect first-time pass for Matheus Cunha to run through and score United's second. The final result ensured that Carrick's side now have a three-point cushion in third place, with Champions League qualification in sight.

Of the 54 points United have amassed so far, Fernandes' goal involvements account for 25 of them. That's the same as Ronaldo managed in the club's domestic and European double-winning 2007-08 campaign, which earned him the first of his five Ballons d'Or. With eight games of the current season remaining, Fernandes might even have his eye on the 38 points that Robin van Persie's goals and assists were worth during the club's last run to the Premier League trophy 13 years ago, such is his relentless pursuit of excellence. 

Fernandes' two assists against Villa took him to 16 for the season, eight clear of his nearest challenger, Rayan Cherki, and only four short of the all-time single-season Premier League record, which is currently shared by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. He also surpassed David Beckham's club record haul of 15 for United back in 1999-2000.

"It's a very good achievement. It's not going to change anything for what I want, but being there with a name who, obviously, was one of the players everyone looks up to, in the way of crossing and the way of passing," Fernandes told MUTV after the game. "Like everyone in their own garden tried to do it like Beckham and was doing it, even if you're just swinging your arm, like he used to do it, not as much the ball! I'm obviously very happy to do that [beat his record]."

Beckham's technique was certainly special, and his highlight reel is up there with the United greats. His all-around game didn't compare to Fernandes', though. While Beckham tended to need a lot of space to execute one of his trademark through balls, Fernandes can conjure them up from anywhere on the pitch under intense pressure. He runs games by himself and covers every blade of grass; Beckham's job was simply to provide width and a final pass. As good as he was at that, the Englishman was more of a cog in a machine than the engine.

To further illustrate Fernandes' impact, he is now only the third United player to ever reach 100 goals and 100 assists in all competitions, after Rooney and Giggs. He's become a Hall of Famer despite largely playing on teams not fit to compete for the most prestigious trophies, which is extremely rare at an elite club.

Declan Rice is being billed as the favourite for the PFA Player of the Year gong amid Arsenal's push for a first Premier League title in 22 years, which is understandable. His set-piece prowess has been vital to the Gunners' much-maligned but extremely effective game plan, and his ball-winning skills have gone a long way to the team posting the best defensive record in the division.

It would still be a travesty if he beat Fernandes in the final vote, though. The United skipper is a superior footballer in every way, and Rice's numbers don't come close to his, despite the fact that they both played the same position in the first half of the season.

Fernandes has 23 goal involvements, behind only Manchester City's goal-scoring terminator Erling Haaland (29), while Rice is on a modest 11, having appeared in three more Premier League games than United's talisman. Gabriel Magalhaes, Antoine Semenyo and Igor Thiago are also contenders for the PFA prize, but none of them measure up to Fernandes either.

His 16 assists have been worth 18 points to United alone this term, more than any other player in Premier League history, while he also ranks top in 2025-26 for through-balls and sits second for successful passes in the final third. Creating chances is the essence of football, and Fernandes is an unrivalled expert. 

Take him out of the line up and United are infinitely weaker, which is not true of the other players mentioned above with their teams. Indeed, when Fernandes was laid low with injury over the festive period, they dropped valuable points against struggling Wolves and Leeds, ultimately costing Amorim his job.

If Fernandes had left last summer when fielding interest from Saudi Arabia, the Red Devils wouldn't be anywhere near the top three, and Premier League stock would have plummeted without its last true maverick.

Amazingly, Fernandes has not made the final 30-man list of nominees for the Ballon d'Or in any of the last four seasons; his sole career nomination came in 2021, where he finished joint-21st alongside Lautaro Martinez. That was off the back of his fantastic first full season at United, where he racked up 46 goal involvements, including 30 in the Premier League.

If he beats that second number this time around, breaking De Bruyne and Henry's assist record in the process, a second nomination would surely be on the cards, even with France Football inevitably penalising him for United not being in Europe. It's also an outside possibility that a strong World Cup with Portugal could propel him into the top-10 conversation, and that's where a player of his calibre should be.

United have failed to give Fernandes the platform he deserves. He's shown unwavering loyalty, giving his best years to the club despite poor decision-making behind the scenes that has prevented him from progressing into the official elite bracket. At the age of 31, time is now against him to get there, and if a solid plan for success is not put forward this summer, no one could blame him for heading to the exit.

If that were to happen, United's target of Premier League glory by 2028 would be instantly written off. Sir Alex Ferguson delivered two more league titles and another Champions League final run after Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in 2009, but the foundations are nowhere near as solid now. Fernandes' departure is unthinkable heading into a new era, which is at least acknowledged by the man who could be leading it.

"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," Carrick said at the weekend. United have won seven out of nine games since Carrick replaced Amorim, and he's brought the maximum out of Fernandes by instantly commanding his trust. 

"Michael has won everything here and he knows what it means for these fans, what it means for the club to win and how much is needed to win at this football club. I think that adds something special to the team," Fernandes told TNT Sports in February. "I think Michael came in with the right ideas of giving the players the responsibility. He's very good with words. I was sure that Michael could be a great manager, and he's just showing it."

The temptation for Fernandes to walk away if his reported £57 million ($76m) release clause is met will be far less if Carrick is given the permanent manager's role. The former United midfielder knows the club inside out and has the gravitas and composure that fellow legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lacked when he got the job in similar circumstances in 2019. 

Holding genuine sway over Fernandes' future should tip the scales in Carrick's favour ahead of other mooted contenders like Julian Nagelsmann and Roberto De Zerbi. With a few more personnel tweaks, United can re-emerge as a genuine force next season, so long as their Portuguese maestro remains the heartbeat of the team.