Bruno Fernandes Reveals the One Demand He's Made to Man Utd

The Portuguese is enjoying one of his best individual Premier League campaigns to date.

Bruno Fernandes leads the Premier League assists chart. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

Bruno Fernandes has revealed his one demand of Manchester United is that the club "compete" for major trophies as speculation persists over his Old Trafford future.

United have shown a better version of themselves under the guidance of interim manager Michael Carrick and are now in a strong position to qualify for next season’s Champions League. That is a mark of success for this iteration of the Red Devils who have won just two trophies—the FA Cup and EFL Cup—since Fernandes moved to Old Trafford from Sporting CP in 2020.

In days gone by, winning the Premier League title was the only acceptable standard at United, but it’s now been 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson headed into retirement with the 13th domestic title of an unparalleled management career.

Fernandes is a player who would likely have thrived under Ferguson’s management—operating in a role similar to Paul Scholes in the late 1990s and early 2000s—and there’s no doubting he’s one of the Premier League’s standout talents. Indeed, he’s chalked up 16 assists this season and needs five more before the season’s end to break the record of 20 currently held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

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The Important Thing to Fernandes

Fernandes is the heartbeat of United’s midfield. | Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar/Getty Images

Speculation has mounted over Fernandes’s long-term future at United—he has one year remaining on his contract with a club option of a further 12 months—but there’s been no official word about his plans. He has, at the very least, already turned down a mega-money offer from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

In a new sit down interview with The Telegraph, Fernandes did not directly discuss whether or not he’ll be staying for United for the long haul, but he did articulate what drives and motivates him—outlining some of the conversations he’s had with the club’s hierarchy.

“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 continued: “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.”

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An Impact Like No Other Player

Bryan Mbeumo (right) is benefitting from playing with Fernandes. | Copa/Getty Images

Fernandes has done exactly that this season (being the best version of himself), shining for United even when they were struggling to string together positive results under former manager Ruben Amorim. In addition to his 16 assists, Fernandes has scored eight Premier League goals and has been named as United’s player of the match on countless occasions.

He also leads the division in other key metrics, namely chances created (101) and passes into the penalty area (248). Without his vision and influence it’s hard to imagine United would be where they are now in the Premier League.

“In my head it’s already an image of what we’ve worked on during the week,” Fernandes said of his style of play. “The most difficult part is that you have to react, but also adapt your idea for the player you have ahead of you.

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“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 unerring ability to get those decisions right has brought the best out of Mbeumo and in particular Šeško—the Slovenian striker now making his mark in English football after a relatively slow start to life in Manchester.

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