There have been many sources of blame for Manchester United‘s turbulent recent period, but it’d be foolish to suggest that Bruno Fernandes, even with his status as captain, is one of them.
The Portuguese genius, fresh off the back of a record-breaking season for assists, has swept a succession of individual honours at the tail end of the campaign, albeit while repeatedly outlining his desire to secure collective silverware, rather than personal accolades.
He’s so often led from the front at Old Trafford, although that doesn’t appear to be enough for everyone, amid something of a war of words with United legend, Roy Keane, surrounding that assist chase.
Quite why Keane routinely singles out the 31-year-old, considering his remarkable consistency over the past six years, remains head-scratching. The Irishman, sent off 11 times in his United career, was not exactly the perfect, polished captain himself.
Alas, that ‘feud’ is a tiresome, needless distraction at the end of a fine campaign for Michael Carrick‘s side, with attention now turning toward transfer dealings this summer.
Man Utd officials jet out to seal first Carrick signing
All being well, there won’t be any talk over Fernandes’ future at least this time around, with the ex-Sporting CP star openly admitting that he had come close to a move to Saudi side Al Hilal in 2025.
The skipper currently has just a year left on his existing deal, plus the option of a further 12 months, with an extension seemingly in the best interests of all parties.
As revealed by Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, there are “talks” taking place behind the scenes regarding a fresh contract for Fernandes, as he looks set to remain a vital part of Carrick’s squad next season.
Speaking in that same video, Romano also provided the latest on United’s pursuit of a potential midfield colleague for Fernandes, amid the ongoing bid to land Atalanta star, Ederson.
As per the transfer insider, club officials have already flown out to Italy to discuss a potential move for the Brazilian, with potential outgoings also on the agenda during the trip.
According to Romano, the 26-year-old is “waiting” for the Red Devils to firm up their interest, with much set to depend on whether INEOS push on with a more concrete approach.
Why Ederson signing could be perfect for Fernandes at Man Utd
After the chaos and confusion of Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 set-up, a return to a 4-3-3 has been a welcome switch under Carrick, with Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro all back to their best in that midfield triumvirate.
The problem heading into next season will then be the need to find a suitable replacement for Casemiro alongside Mainoo, with the 34-year-old offering so much more than just a protective screen in the front of the back four.
Indeed, he ended the campaign with career-best figures of nine Premier League goals, while he so often helped to spark attacks with incisive, probing passes to pick out Fernandes between the lines, averaging a solid 1.1 key passes per game this season.
|
Casemiro – 24/25 vs 25/26 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
24/25 |
Stat (*per game) |
25/26 |
|
24 |
Games |
34 |
|
18 |
Starts |
33 |
|
1 |
Goals |
9 |
|
0 |
Assists |
2 |
|
3 |
Big chances created |
4 |
|
0.9 |
Key passes* |
1.1 |
|
80% |
Pass accuracy* |
81% |
|
3.5 |
Tackles* |
2.6 |
|
0.6 |
Interceptions* |
0.9 |
|
1.2 |
Dribbled past* |
1.5 |
It is in that regard that Ederson could well prove a suitable successor, following in his compatriot’s footsteps as the man to thread balls into Fernandes’ feet in that advanced midfield role.
It must be said that the Atalanta man isn’t a chief creator, averaging just 0.8 key passes per game in Serie A, yet that’s not to say he doesn’t seek to look forward where possible.
As per DataMB, he notably ranks in the top 13% for forward passes completed, as well as in the top 20% for progressive passes completed, showcasing that willingness to spark attacks from deep.
For comparison, that is a significant upgrade on the man whom United initially brought in to succeed Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte, the Uruguayan ranking in just the top 42% and the top 46% for those same two metrics, respectively.
What is also telling is that despite his knack for playing a progressive pass, Ederson isn’t necessarily erratic on the ball, still boasting a stellar 89% pass accuracy rate in Italy’s top-flight, superior to both Casemiro (81%) and Ugarte (85%) in that regard.
Fernandes previously spoke in the past of his admiration for Carrick’s passing ability, suggesting that the Englishman, while working as a coach, was almost an upgrade on those in the first-team squad in training.
“It’s unbelievable how fresh and sharp he is doing the exercises with us, and I was talking with Fred and I was going to say to him, hey, watch him playing and do the same, but I thought it was unfair and so I didn’t say it!”
Fernandes, and United, evidently need a calming presence in that number six role, and the £43m-rated Ederson could well provide that.
Forget Ederson: Man Utd have already agreed to sign the “next Casemiro”
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