Stat shows United star is unstoppable with the ball at his feet, selling him would be disastrous

Bruno Fernandes continues to be the central figure for Manchester United, six years after first dazzling fans with an impressive debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Portuguese joined the Red Devils in January 2020 from Sporting, and has been one of the club’s best signings in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Now the club’s talisman by some distance, Fernandes is the player who makes the Premier League giants tick, the one the team turns to when seeking solutions on the pitch. The 31 year old has registered 103 goals and 97 assists from 312 games for the Premier League giants to date and remains indispensable to the first team right now. Fernandes was heavily linked with an exit from the Theatre of Dreams at the beginning of this season, but ended up staying. However, with the player set to turn 32 in September and already in the final 18 months of his contract, speculation is rife regarding his next move. United’s creator-in-chief Fernandes started the season in a deeper role under former head coach Ruben Amorim, but remained as influential as ever. While the trio of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko initially hogged the limelight following their summer arrivals, it was soon clear that the Portuguese remains United’s main man. Fernandes continued to pull the strings from deep, justifying his position as one of the most creative players in Europe. Following Amorim’s departure in January and a shift in formation, the Red Devils skipper was reinstalled in his preferred No. 10 position, and he has been outstanding once again. Fernandes has registered an assist in each of his last four appearances, and is leading the Premier League’s assist charts this season. The Portuguese Magnifico has scored five goals and set up 11 more in 22 appearances across competitions. Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League20205102-1,718′ FA Cup11-1–90′ EFL Cup10—-45′ Total22215112-1,853′ Source: Transfermarkt. There is a belief that the key to stopping United is keeping their mercurial skipper quiet. However, it now appears that keeping Fernandes at bay is no mean feat. Most tackle-resistant player in the Premier League According to Gradient Sports via Football365, Fernandes is the toughest player to take the ball off in the Premier League. Gradient has compiled a list of top 10 tackle-proof players in the top tier of English football, assessing players on the basis of execution and outcome and grading them on a scale of 100. The Portuguese maestro received 87.8 points, putting him at the top of the list, and ahead of Joelinton (87.4) and Ryan Gravenberch (86.7), who make up the top three. The Premier League’s Most Tackle-proof Players RankPlayerClubScore 1Bruno FernandesManchester United87.8 2JoelintonNewcastle United87.4 3Ryan GravenberchLiverpool86.7 4John McGinnAston Villa86.2 5Bruno GuimarãesNewcastle United85.9 6Moises CaicedoChelsea83.8 7Yeremy PinoCrystal Palace83.6 8RicharlisonTottenham Hotspur83.2 9Ezri KonsaAston Villa82.8 10Thierno BarryEverton82.3 The report states: “Even if you take an approach of ‘stop Bruno, stop United’, it’s easier said than done.” “Fernandes may have played most of the season in a deeper role but even in an unfamiliar position, only four midfielders came out on top of a higher percentage of tackles faced, and none of them faced more tackles than the United skipper.” Final Thoughts Bruno Fernandes has a very strong bond with fans, and many would like to see him spend the rest of his career at United. With Casemiro set to leave this summer and Harry Maguire’s future also uncertain, the Portuguese’s experience, leadership and world-class abilities could become even more vital for the Red Devils going forward. Bruno Fernandes’ goals and asssists have been worth 17 points to Manchester United this season. It’s the most points won directly by any player in the league. And he hasn’t even played in his best position for most of the season. 😳 pic.twitter.com/49h56bSvAQ — Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) January 29, 2026 Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.