It is simple to overlook that Manchester United have been a workforce going nowhere earlier than the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, however Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in a stoop in his first full season in cost.
In Fernandes’ final recreation earlier than signing for £56m on the finish of January 2020, United misplaced 2-0 at residence to Burnley, their twelfth Premier League defeat since Solskjaer grew to become everlasting supervisor in March final 12 months. They gained simply 11 occasions throughout that point.
On the finish of the 2019/20 season, following disruption as a result of coronavirus, the Purple Devils completed third with a win over Leicester Metropolis on the ultimate day, with Fernandes scoring 20 targets and assists in all competitions in his first 20 video games for the membership alone.
The Portuguese genius has been and continues to be a distinction maker from the beginning, however now will be the time to lighten the inventive burden on him.
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Previous Trafford have lengthy relied closely on Fernandes creatively, and the 31-year-old is arguably at his peak, having supplied a record-breaking 21 assists this season on the weekend.
With a lot consideration targeted on the captain’s heroic efficiency, the struggles of these round him have been obscured, and no participant even comes near the highest stage when it comes to assists.
Really, what number of do you assume the second place participant acquired? Simply 4, courtesy of Patrick Dawg. The gulf in that sector between Fernandes and the remainder is seismic.
Manchester United – PL 25/26 assists | |
|---|---|
participant | help |
Fernandez | twenty one |
i fall asleep | 4 |
Amado | 3 |
share | 3 |
Mbeumo | 3 |
Casemiro | 2 |
Cunha | 2 |
Maguire | 2 |
Mainu | 2 |
However all that would change with the arrival of a brand new participant, with Italy’s Tuttosport suggesting talks have been held to signal Fernandes’ compatriot Afonso Moreira through United.
In line with studies, INEOS have made inquiries about signing the 21-year-old, regardless of dealing with rival curiosity from golf equipment in Germany and Italy.
Lyon, his present membership, bought Rayan Cherki to Manchester Metropolis in the same cut price final summer time amid ongoing monetary issues, and can be capable of money in with a switch payment of simply 25 million euros (roughly 2.1 billion yen).
Why Moreira could possibly be Manchester United’s different Fernandes
It is no shock that Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesco all scored in double figures within the league, with Fernandes registering back-to-back assists following a string of marquee signings final summer time.
Cunha and Mbeumo might want to do extra creatively, however they each registered simply 5 assists, with Amad contributing simply three on the ultimate day, his first of 2026.
Which may be the place Moreira makes a distinction, with the teen having fun with a formidable particular person marketing campaign in France after arriving from Portugal final summer time.
The promising playmaker, who grew up at Fernandes’ former membership Sporting CP, can play throughout the entrance line, however is normally deployed on the left, permitting his inventive skills to flourish in that vast position.
In complete, he completed the 2025/26 season with 4 targets and 7 assists in Ligue 1, whereas creating 10 “large probabilities” and averaging 1.2 key passes per recreation.
For context, Fernandes led the best way with 33 ‘large probabilities’ created, however once more, the gulf between him and the remainder of the gamers at United was vast, with Amad second with simply seven.
Moreira might not but be on the stage of his compatriot, however he could also be nearer to Fernandes in a inventive sense than anybody at the moment at Previous Trafford.
Moreira, who was beforehand hailed as “some of the proficient gamers of his era” by scout Jacek Kulig, impressed in European competitors in 2025/26, scoring 4 targets and aiding in simply seven video games within the Europa League, regardless of beginning simply three video games.
That is all of the extra exceptional contemplating he solely had a small style of senior soccer earlier than this season, spending a lot of his time with Sporting’s ‘B’ workforce.
Both method, he seems to be a brand new Portuguese celebrity within the mould of Fernandes, and United and INEOS might signal a cut price deal this summer time.
Certainly, the participant handed his debut by Ruben Amorim in Lisbon might shine in Manchester as the most recent participant to have hyperlinks with Sporting.
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