“No disrespect”: United icon delivers bold verdict on Fernandes amid comparisons with PL greats

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is one of the finest midfielders of his generation, and his special achievement this season has seen him compared to two Premier League greats. The Portuguese maestro has been one of the most creative players in the English top flight since arriving at Old Trafford in January 2020. Fernandes has been a consistent performer for the Red Devils ever since, and has been one of the few bright sparks in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. The 31 year old has already left a lasting impression at the Theatre of Dreams, becoming only the third player after Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney to have scored 100 goals and assists for the club to date. His performances have regularly seen him compared to another Premier League icon, former Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. The Belgian was also among the most creative players in the league during his stay at the Etihad. In the 2019/20 season, De Bruyne famously equalled Arsenal legend Thierry Henry’s record of most assists (20) in a Premier League campaign. Fernandes has matched that feat this season with one game remaining, despite playing the first half of the season in a deeper role. He could even achieve two new milestones on the final day of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion, sparking intense debate about how the Portuguese compares to De Bruyne and Henry. United legend Rio Ferdinand has now outlined why Fernandes’ achievement deserves a lot more credit. Fernandes deserves better players around him at United Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand explained why it was much harder for Fernandes to match the legendary duo’s feat. He said: “Opposition fans are going to say it is Thierry Henry, who is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players in Premier League history. Kevin De Bruyne has won countless trophies with Manchester City.” “It always happens that when you are still playing, you don’t always get the flowers you deserve. But when he (Fernandes) retires and you look at the players that De Bruyne and Henry played with, it is a massive difference compared with what Bruno has had at Manchester United.” “No disrespect to those guys, but when you are talking about De Bruyne playing balls into people like Sergio Agüero and Erling Haaland, it is crazy.” Fernandes vs De Bruyne De Bruyne was an established force in the Premier League when Fernandes entered the fray at the start of 2020. The Portuguese regularly locked horns with the Belgian in the Manchester derby, with their creative flair adding a new dimension to the highly followed fixture. Fernandes has faced De Bruyne 14 times in his career, all but one of which were in the Manchester derby. The Portuguese was on the winning side just four times, while the Belgian triumphed on seven occasions. However, Fernandes scored four goals in those encounters, while the City maestro could only manage two. When it comes to silverware, though, there is one clear winner, with De Bruyne lifting 19 trophies during his time at the Etihad. The Portuguese, meanwhile, has only won the FA Cup and EFL Cup so far with United, although one has to admit that he joined the club during a period of extended struggles. Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League34348205-2,978′ FA Cup11-1–90′ EFL Cup10—-45′ Total36358215-3,113′ Source: Transfermarkt. Final Thoughts It is hard to imagine where United would be without Fernandes in the team. Having played a major role in the Red Devils’ recent rise, the Portuguese magnifico now deserves to win the Premier League at Old Trafford. INEOS, as such, must ensure they invest wisely over the summer to build a competitive squad. Most matches with 5+ chances created this PL season: 15 — Bruno Fernandes14131211109876543 — Enzo Fernández, Rayan Cherki pic.twitter.com/hqrIT2teHc — StatMuse FC (@statmusefc) May 17, 2026 Featured image by Molly Darlington/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.