The nickname fits Bruno Fernandes like a glove. 'Magnificent,' call him the Manchester United fans, who finally seem to be moving towards brighter days than those experienced over the past few years. Too many for a club with the history that the Red Devils possess and, above all, ungrateful for someone who, like the Portuguese midfielder, has given so much on the field. Let's get to the raw numbers. Bruno Fernandes scored his 104th goal for the Old Trafford emblem this Saturday. Significant numbers, considering we are not talking about a forward. Yes, the Portuguese international often finds himself in finishing positions, but he does so mainly due to his cleverness. Additionally, the midfielder is only in his sixth full season with United, having arrived in January 2020 after two and a half years of high-level performance at Sporting. If we add the accurate shots to the assists, the numbers become even more impressive… leading to a round figure: the goal scored against Tottenham was Bruno's 200th direct goal involvement in 314 matches for Manchester. In the Premier League era (since 1992), only one player from the Red Devils reached such a mark faster: Wayne Rooney, in 295 games. Behind him, a true hall of fame: Cristiano Ronaldo, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. 200 – Games taken to reach 200 goal involvements for Man Utd in the Premier League era: 295 – Wayne Rooney (133G, 67A) 314 – Bruno Fernandes (104G, 96A) 339 – Cristiano Ronaldo (144G, 56A) 393 – David Beckham (85G, 115A) 424 – Ryan Giggs (90G, 111A) 564 – Paul Scholes (138G,… pic.twitter.com/vj X3Jxa BJs The story could stop here, but it is impossible not to look at Bruno Fernandes's ability to maintain relentless records within a team that has been marked by inconsistency. Let's see: in the last 12 matches of Manchester United, the 31-year-old midfielder has only failed to score or assist in two of them. And Michael Carrick, who these days seems to be the right man to revive the sleeping giant, has only taken the helm for four matches. Moreover, before Saturday's clash with the Spurs (and another goal from Bruno), Opta highlighted another illustrative fact about the Portuguese player's weight in the Red Devils' play: he has provided 12 assists in the last 14 Premier League matches. In a similar sample of games, only two players have done better in Premier League history: Mesut Ozil and Thierry Henry, both for Arsenal… and legends in their own right. Bruno Fernandes has set up 12 goals in his last 14 Premier League appearances. Only two players have ever tallied more PL assists in a 14-game period. pic.twitter.com/d WDKx1qr AR And it is for all these reasons that it is even more impressive that individual numbers and statistics have not translated into the much-desired collective titles. Bruno Fernandes is certainly among the least to blame, but he still suffers from Manchester United's inability to approach glory in recent years. In six and a half years, the Portuguese has won only one FA Cup and one EFL Cup. The same number of trophies he has with the National Team: two Nations Leagues. Bruno has a year and a half left on his contract with the Red Devils. Will he have time to add at least one more title to his collection? The investment from the PIF (Public Investment Fund) of Saudi Arabia has generated a lot of buzz in recent days. Cristiano Ronaldo has clashed with the organization over what he considers to be an unequal investment between Al Hilal and Al Nassr. To add salt to the wound, CR7's great rival, João Félix, and Jorge Jesus signed Karim Benzema from Al Ittihad, taking advantage of the conflict between the French forward and the club coached by Sérgio Conceição. Now, dear reader, just imagine: what if, at this moment, Benzema were being served by Bruno Fernandes? Those who may have forgotten might not recall, but the truth is that the Portuguese midfielder was close to moving to Al Hilal last summer. Something he himself admitted in a press conference for the National Team. Bruno ultimately decided to stay at Manchester United. But it is impossible not to think about the damage the creative player would cause in the Middle East, given the numbers he presents in the Premier League. Between almost stratospheric numbers and gala performances, Roberto Martínez is rubbing his hands together. The national team coach has never hesitated to highlight the importance of Bruno Fernandes in the National Team's aspirations, and judging by his current form, it is expected that the natural maestro from Maia will emerge as a key figure for Portugal in this year's World Cup, a tournament that the Selecção das Quinas aims to finally conquer. The truth is that since the Spanish coach took the helm of the National Team, Bruno Fernandes has become one of the most prominent figures in the Portuguese squad: 15 goals and 12 assists in 32 matches, the last of which was in November, in the historic rout (9-1) against Armenia, which secured Portugal's passport to the World Cup. At the Dragão — and without Ronaldo — Bruno scored a hat trick, also giving João Neves the chance to convert a direct free kick excellently. A captain-like moment, a status that the midfielder held in that match. In theory, Portugal will enter the world's most important competition with one of the best squads among the 48 participating nations, and leading it will be Bruno Fernandes. Alone? No, obviously not. There are Vitinha, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Bernardo Silva, Rúben Dias, João Cancelo… and Ronaldo, of course. But Bruno stands out at this moment as the true spiritual leader of the team. And looking at all the numbers, both from the National Team and Manchester United, it is impossible not to dream of a magnificent outcome. Right?
Stratospheric Portuguese Bruno Fernandes remains central to this story.
Stratospheric Portuguese Bruno Fernandes remains central to this story.
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