Manchester United have certainly endured a turbulent couple of seasons, with various managers unable to get the best out of the players on the books at Old Trafford.
The likes of Erik ten and Ruben Amorim have both tried their luck in the manager role, but neither of whom were able to provide continued success for the Red Devils.
The latter of the aforementioned duo was the last previous permanent boss, subsequently only achieving a 15th place finish in the Premier League during his first year at the helm.
After a dismal start to the current campaign, the 41-year-old was handed his marching orders, with Michael Carrick subsequently taking the reins until the end of the campaign.
However, despite the recent transitional period and struggles on the pitch under Amorim, one player consistently managed to provide the goods for the Red Devils.
The stats behind Bruno Fernandes’ success in 2025/26
Over the last couple of years, midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been a constant source of goals for United – even during the struggles across all competitions in 2024/25.
The Portuguese international ended the previous campaign on a staggering 37 combined goals and assists – by far and away the highest tally of any player in the squad.
In 2025/26, he’s continued his remarkable form in the final third, with the 31-year-old already registering 21 goal contributions in just 26 league outings.
Once again, such a tally is easily the highest in the first team ranks, whilst also producing numerous incredible underlying figures in various key areas for an attacker.
He’s created the most big chances (22) of any player at the club, with such a tally over four times higher than any Red Devil, with Bryan Mbeumo second with just five.
Bruno has also played the most passes into the final third, along with the most crosses completed – numbers which reaffirm his remarkable ability to create carnage in attacking areas.
The United star who’s becoming better than Bruno
There’s no denying that Bruno has been the club’s shining light in recent seasons, with Carrick’s hopes of securing Champions League football firmly resting on the midfielder’s shoulders.
The Portuguese international undoubtedly has a free rein to create problems for the opposition, with the former Sporting CP star thriving in the number ten role.
However, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Fernandes at Old Trafford, with former boss Amorim often utilising the attacker in a deep-lying midfield role.
Such a decision often left supporters baffled in Manchester, especially considering the decision often restricted the captain from producing the goods as consistently as he had done in previous years.
The move also massively halted the progress of academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo, who massively made a name for himself in the season prior to Amorim’s arrival.
The 20-year-old was an England international and regular starter at Old Trafford in 2023/24, subsequently ending his breakthrough year on five goals across all competitions.
However, the former boss evidently wasn’t a fan of the youngster, often leaving him on the bench or even excluding him from matchday squads during his time in Manchester.
Amorim’s dismissal and Carrick’s appointment have handed Mainoo the fresh lease of life he’s been craving, with the temporary boss making him a consistent starter once again.
He’s now started every game since the temporary manager’s arrival, further indicating the faith he’s shown in the 20-year-old after taking the reins until the end of the season.
During such a period, Mainoo has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and often starring – just as he did in the senior ranks during his breakout season.
He’s already registered two assists in his eight games under Carrick’s guidance, but it’s his underlying stats which make him such a vital asset to the Red Devils squad.
Mainoo has completed 90% of the passes he’s attempted in the league to date, whilst also registering 1.5 chances created per 90 from his deep-lying position.
The aforementioned figures demonstrate the talent he possesses with the ball at his feet, arguably being just as, if not more important, than Bruno in such an area.
Without the ball, the youngster has also been just as impressive, subsequently making 2.1 tackles per 90 and winning 5.5 duels per 90 – arguably being the side’s best disrupter.
The aforementioned figures certainly back up Alejandro Garnacho’s claims, with the former United star previously claiming Mainoo is the “best player in the squad”.
Carrick’s arrival has certainly handed Mainoo the revival he so desperately needed at United, with the sky once again truly being the limit for the English international.
Bruno is certainly entering his final years at United, with the academy graduate certainly having a huge part to play in the years ahead if the club are to return to Premier League glory.
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