Where in the world do you start with Bruno Fernandes? The Manchester United player may not have won the Premier League but he has beaten every Arsenal player in the individual awards so far this campaign.
After an impressive season in which he registered 21 top flight assists, he has won the FWA Player of the Year and the Premier League's domestic award. If he takes home the PFA gong too, it could be a hat-trick of honours.
He deserves it too. No player has registered more assists in a single league season since the English team was rebranded in 1992.
It would not be surprising to see Fernandes in power again in the coming term. United are settled now with Michael Carrick in charge and will strengthen in the summer.
The latest in Manchester United's transfer plans
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know the fact that United desperately need to sign not one but two midfielders this summer.
Fortunately, they seem to be closing in on one move already with Ederson due to complete a move to Old Trafford without any crazy twists in the story.
Who you join will be interesting. Elliot Anderson leads the way but Manchester City are the best in the race. Elsewhere, West Ham's Mateus Fernandes is often linked with a move to the north west of England.
That said, United are also looking to improve their final third, which was heavily linked with Victor Osimhen at the weekend. He is not the only international star on the team's radar.
Indeed, according to a report from TEAMtalk, the Red Devils are one of the many Premier League clubs who have held talks with Vinicius Junior's camp.
The Real Madrid forward is out of contract in 2027 and while club president Florentino Perez insists he won't be going anywhere this summer, they are playing a dangerous game if he doesn't sign new terms.
Valued at £130m according to previous reports, he could leave on a free next year with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all in touch to understand the player's situation.
Why Vinicius Junior could surpass Fernandes as Man United's best player
There are not many players in world football who can surpass Fernandes as the team's best player.
The Portuguese sensation has been a wonderful thing for United in red, especially in recent seasons. Not only did the captain register 22 assists in all competitions but he also scored nine times.
He is not only one of the best players in the Premier League, but one of the best players in the whole of Europe. However, in Vinicius Junior, they will be signing one of the best players of all time; Vini is so beautiful.
In the past few years, the Brazilian finished second to Rodri in the race for the Ballon d'Or and despite the arrival of Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu, the 25-year-old has continued to deliver goals on a regular basis.
In 2025/26, the defender scored 22 times, scoring ten times. That was the fifth consecutive season for the Madrid star to score more than 20 goals. You are on the next level.
|
Vini Jr's goals per season |
||
|---|---|---|
|
The season |
Games |
Goals |
|
2021/22 |
52 |
22 |
|
2022/23 |
55 |
23 |
|
2023/24 |
39 |
24 |
|
2024/25 |
52 |
21 |
|
2025/26 |
53 |
22 |
Hailed as “the best player in the world in his position” by the aforementioned Perez and “a star” by former team-mate Luka Modric, he is arguably the game's most electrifying left-back.
To put Vini's numbers into context, Bryan Mbeumo has never scored more than 20 goals in one season and Matheus Cunha, the man he can cover on the left, has never scored more than the 17 goals he scored in 2024/25.
The Brazilian icon doesn't just score goals. He provided 16 assists in the 2021/22 campaign before dishing out a further 19 the following season. In 2024/25, he picked up another 15 and in 2025/26, he gave his teammates ten goals.
Vinicius is so good that he rates high against similar players in Europe in every important metric imaginable. He is in the top 4% for productive dribbling, top 1% for rebounds, top 1% for rebounds and top 11% for non-penalty goals. This is a true elite talent.
The captain of this team right now may be caught in the same spirit but the truth is that he is not Galactico, he is not at the same level as Vinicius. There is a reason he was entrusted to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in the Spanish capital.
He is Pogba's shadow: Man Utd are close to signing the first players of the summer
Manchester United have made major progress in a deal to sign their £35m starlet this summer.
