It is easy to overlook that Manchester United had been a group going nowhere earlier than the arrival of Bruno Fernandes, however Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in a droop 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 yr. They received simply 11 occasions throughout that point.
On the finish of the 2019/20 season, following disruption because of the coronavirus, the Purple Devils completed third with a win over Leicester Metropolis on the ultimate day, with Fernandes scoring 20 objectives 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 would be the time to lighten the artistic 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 centered 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.
Truly, what number of do you suppose the second place participant obtained? Simply 4, courtesy of Patrick Dawg. The gulf in that sector between Fernandes and the remaining is seismic.
|
Manchester United – PL 25/26 assists |
|
|---|---|
|
participant |
help |
|
Fernandes |
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 response to reviews, 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, offered Rayan Cherki to Manchester Metropolis in an identical discount deal final summer season amid ongoing monetary issues, and can be capable of money in for simply 25 million euros (roughly 2.1 billion yen).
Why Moreira may very well 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 season.
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.
That could be the place Moreira makes a distinction, with the teenager having fun with a formidable particular person marketing campaign in France after arriving from Portugal final summer season.
The promising playmaker, who grew up at Fernandes’ former membership Sporting CP, can play throughout the entrance line, however is often deployed on the left, permitting his artistic abilities to flourish in that extensive function.
In whole, he completed the 2025/26 season with 4 objectives and 7 assists in Ligue 1, whereas creating 10 “huge possibilities” and averaging 1.2 key passes per recreation.
For context, Fernandes led the best way with 33 ‘huge possibilities’ created, however once more, the gulf between him and the remainder of the gamers at United was extensive, with Amad second with simply seven.
Moreira could not but be on the stage of his compatriot, however he could also be nearer to Fernandes in a artistic sense than anybody at the moment at Previous Trafford.
Moreira, who was beforehand hailed as “one of the gifted gamers of his technology” by scout Jacek Kulig, impressed in European competitors in 2025/26, scoring 4 objectives and helping in simply seven video games within the Europa League, regardless of beginning simply three.
That is all of the extra outstanding contemplating he solely had a small style of senior soccer earlier than this season, spending a lot of his time with Sporting’s ‘B’ group.
Both manner, he seems to be a brand new Portuguese famous person within the mould of Fernandes, and United and INEOS might signal a discount deal this summer season.
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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