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Bruno Fernandes has made clear his one requirement of Manchester United is that the club "compete" for silverware, as uncertainty continues to surround his future at Old Trafford.
United have displayed a much-improved version of themselves under interim boss Michael Carrick and are now well-placed to secure a Champions League spot for next season. That represents a measure of progress for this current incarnation of the Red Devils, who have claimed just two pieces of silverware—the FA Cup and EFL Cup—since Fernandes arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting CP back in 2020.
In years past, challenging for the Premier League title was the bare minimum at United, yet it has now been 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson rode off into the sunset with the 13th league title of an extraordinary managerial legacy.
Fernandes is the type of player who would almost certainly have flourished under Ferguson—filling a role not unlike Paul Scholes in the late 1990s and early 2000s—and there is little question he ranks among the Premier League's finest talents. He has racked up 16 assists this season and needs just five more before the campaign concludes to surpass the record of 20 jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
The Important Thing to Fernandes
Questions over Fernandes's long-term future at United have intensified—he has one year left on his deal with a club option for an additional 12 months—though no official statement regarding his intentions has been made. He has, at minimum, already rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal.
In a recent sit-down interview with The Telegraph, Fernandes stopped short of directly addressing whether he would be committing to United long-term, but he did spell out what fuels and motivates him—touching on conversations he has had with the club's leadership.
"Everyone that comes to Man Utd wants to win every trophy ... you want to fight for all of them," Fernandes said. "We went to three finals and didn't win. That can happen. But at least you've been there in the fight. We were close. And what I said to the club every time that I spoke with them, what I want from the time I'm here, I want to compete. Because if I compete, I will be close to winning.
"If I don't compete, there's no chance I'm going to get close to anything. So, the main thing that the club understood is this: it's 2013 that they last won the Premier League. That's too long for a club like Man Utd ... [it] is not normal."
He added: "What I always say to the club is: 'You can't promise me that I'm going to win the Premier League. That's impossible. But if you promise me that we're going to be competitive and we're going to be there at the end ... that's all I need to know. Because then it's on me to become the best version of myself, to help everyone around to become the best version of themselves, to become the club we want to be."
An Impact Like No Other Player
Fernandes has done precisely that this season—performing at his very best—shining for United even during their difficult run of form under former head coach Ruben Amorim. Alongside his 16 assists, Fernandes has netted eight Premier League goals and has been voted United's standout performer on numerous occasions.
He also tops the division in several key statistical categories, including chances created (101) and passes into the penalty area (248). Without his creativity and influence, it is difficult to picture United occupying their current position in the Premier League table.
"In my head it's already an image of what we've worked on during the week," Fernandes said of his approach to the game. "The most difficult part is that you have to react, but also adapt your idea for the player you have ahead of you.
"I can't play the same ball to Amad [Diallo] that I played to [Benjamin] Sesko. I can't play the same ball to Sesko that I played to Bryan [Mbeumo]. Then it's on me to read where I can make the most of it for them because I could give any pass to them and probably wouldn't get anything from it. But I try always to give the best one for the qualities of the players."
Fernandes's remarkable ability to consistently make the right call has unlocked the best in both Mbeumo and, notably, Šeško—the Slovenian forward now making a real impression in English football after a somewhat slow beginning to his time in Manchester.