As Manchester United ready themselves for the defining game of the campaign thus far, it would be no surprise if the Red Devils’ fortunes once again fall on the shoulders of captain fantastic, Bruno Fernandes.
It hasn’t been vintage Fernandes this season, far from it, but in recent weeks, in particular, the Portuguese playmaker has hit his stride, notching up a goal or assist in each of his last three Premier League games.
Now with a return of 25 goal involvements in all competitions – nine more than Amad Diallo in second (16) – the question should not be where would United be without him, but instead, where would the 30-year-old be with better players around him?
The former Sporting CP man is certainly not perfect – a fact indicated by his three red cards this season – but his quality is worthy of a place in a title-winning side, with five years at Old Trafford having thus far yielded ‘just’ a League Cup and FA Cup triumph.
Player
Chances created
Cole Palmer
71
Mohamed Salah
69
Dejan Kulusevski
63
Bruno Fernandes
60
Enzo Fernandez
57
Mikel Damsgaard
51
Trent Alexander-Arnold
51
Youri Tielemans
51
Leif Davis
50
Bryan Mbeumo
50
Whatever lies ahead for the £300k-per-week maestro in Manchester, his arrival from Lisbon back in January 2020 has certainly been an unequivocal success.
Man Utd's Portuguese connections
Fernandes – who has 170 goals and assists for the club in 275 games – made the £46m switch from Sporting just over five years ago, following in the footsteps of his idol and compatriot, Cristiano Ronaldo.
The now-veteran striker had been plucked from the Liga Portugal side as a teenager back in 2003, developing from scrawny trickster into a chiselled machine over the next six years under Sir Alex Ferguson’s watch.
The second spell may have ended in sour fashion, but the early version of Ronaldo was a joy to behold, bewitching defenders with his breathtaking speed and skill, while powering the club to three Premier League titles on the trot, alongside a Champions League success.
Away from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ferguson and co also raided Sporting to land Ronaldo 2.0 in the form of Nani, with the wing wizard contributing 105 goals and assists in 230 games for United, prior to joining Fenerbahce for just £4.3m in 2014.
The Euro 2016 champion arrived in the same summer as Anderson, with the Golden Boy winner signing from Porto and memorably scoring in the Moscow shootout triumph in the Champions League final.
As for more recent deals – ignoring the infamous 2011 signing of Bebe from Vitoria, and Marcos Rojo’s switch from Sporting – the Red Devils have been rewarded for their £19m investment in then-Porto teenager, Diogo Dalot, with the long-serving full-back notably ending the 2023/24 campaign as the club’s Players’ Player of the Year recipient.
Victor Lindelof – a £30m capture from Benfica – is approaching the end of an eight-year stay in Manchester, amid his expiring contract, although it looks like it is just the beginning of a fruitful journey for Manuel Ugarte.
INEOS have hit the jackpot on Man Utd's "warrior"
It hasn’t been a season to look back on positively, but the INEOS regime may be encouraged by the signings made over the summer, with Matthijs de Ligt beginning to come into his own at centre-back, while Noussair Mazraoui has arguably stood out as the club’s best signing since Fernandes, considering his minimal £13m fee.
Market Movers
As for Ugarte, the midfield “warrior” – as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig – looks like he could be a staple of the side for years to come, having previously thrived under Ruben Amorim’s tutelage.
Signed from Paris Saint-Germain for a reported initial fee of around £42m, the Uruguayan – much like Fernandes and Ronaldo before him – first rose to real prominence in a Sporting shirt, after joining from another Portuguese side, Famalicao, in 2021.
Since arriving in Manchester, via his solitary season in Paris, the 23-year-old initially struggled to force his way into Erik ten Hag’s plans, although under Amorim, his role has become clearer, shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 6% of Premier League midfielders for tackles made, and in the top 15% for pass completion per 90.
Neat and tidy on the ball and a machine out of possession, Ugarte certainly lives up to his motto, having stated that “when we have the ball, it’s a game and when we don’t, it’s a fight”.
That was certainly on show in January’s 2-2 draw away at Anfield, with club legend Paul Scholes outlining that the midfielder is “really growing in confidence”, having looked at ease up against the soon-to-be champions.
The summer signing also enjoyed his subsequent return to Merseyside to face Everton, after volleying in a delightful equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, thus marking a fine way to open his account for the club.
Of course, injuries have hampered his involvement at times, yet Ugarte’s impact can be shown by the fact that he is now valued at around €60m (£51m), according to Football Transfers, the same value as another man with Sporting connections, Fernandes.
Not that Amorim or INEOS will be looking to cash in on the midfielder any time soon, considering his suitability to the 3-4-3 system, but it does show that perhaps things are beginning to change for the better on the recruitment front.
Hopefully, having returned to fitness, the £120k-per-week star can play his part in steering United past Real Sociedad this evening…
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