Man Utd begin talks to sign £35m star

As Bryan Mbeumo missed a simple one-on-one chance for Manchester United on Sunday, Bruno Fernandes fell to the turf in disbelief.

The Portuguese had supplied as many as eight key passes in their win over Nottingham Forest and while one of them did eventually end in an assist, he should have had more. This was the weekend in which the midfielder should have broken the Premier League record for most assists in a single season.

However, the wait goes on. The Portuguese will have one more game to beat the record of 20 held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. At the moment, Fernandes is level with them.

It’s been a remarkable campaign for the club captain, one that has already ended with the FWA Player of the Year award. Do not be surprised if he wins the PFA award too; he has been that good.

Yet, there has been something of an overreliance on him this season. Perhaps that could change heading into 2026/27?

Man United targeting creative winger

With Michael Carrick all but confirmed to be the permanent United manager, it begs the question, who will he sign?

Well, it’s no secret that the Red Devils need a midfielder or two, with top target Elliot Anderson showing first-hand why he would be such an immense addition, picking up two assists as Forest suffered defeat at United.

Elsewhere, there is a sense that Carrick and Jason Wilcox could add to their attacking ranks. AC Milan winger Rafael Leao continues to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the Portuguese set to leave the San Siro behind.

He is not the only winger on United’s radar. Indeed, according to Dutch publication, Gazet van Antwerpen, via Sport Witness, the Premier League side are showing an interest in Club Brugge left winger Christos Tzolis.

Man United are not the only club to take an interest, with both them and Aston Villa having made initial enquiries to understand what it may take to lure the 24-year-old to English football.

Brugge’s demands are clear. They will not sell him unless they receive a club-record exit fee, which is likely to be £35m or above.

Why Tzolis could be another Fernandes for Man Utd

Fernandes has enjoyed a truly barnstorming season in United colours. He’s winning pretty much every individual honour available and while his team may not be in contention for the title, the recognition he is earning speaks volumes.

This term, the 31-year-old has eight goals and 22 assists in all competitions. To put that into context, no other player at Old Trafford has registered more than four assists and that is Matheus Cunha.

As a result, Tzolis could be just the man to help solve that problem. Of course, we must acknowledge that the Greek is playing in the Belgian top-flight, but irrespective of that, he’s having a remarkable individual campaign.

Analyst Spencer Mossman has hailed him for his “simply incredible output” and it’s no surprise. The Greece international has 20 goals this season in 50 appearances. More impressive, though, is the winger’s assist count. He’s managed to supply 27 goals for his teammates in 2025/26, five more than Fernandes.

While Fernandes has created 3.9 key passes per game, Tzolis has managed 3.6 out in Belgium. That said, he’s managing the same number of assists per game and has actually generated a higher volume of xA (expected assists) at 14.27 to Bruno’s 12.17.

Combine that with his excellent dribbling ability and you have a player who could well challenge Cunha for a role on the left of Carrick’s attack.

In the Champions League this season, Tzolis completed a whopping 7.11 progressive actions per 90 minutes, more than Cunha’s 5.36 in the Premier League.

This is a really dangerous player, someone who is a nightmare for defenders. One has to wonder how his form would translate into English football but it is hard to ignore someone with as many as 49 goal involvements in 50 appearances.

With Fernandes pulling the strings from the middle and Tzolis creating chances at will out wide, Benjamin Sesko will no doubt be licking his lips at this proposition.