- Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes PFA award favourite
- Arsenal’s Champions League loss should seal it
- Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes to miss out
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is undoubtedly now the winner of the PFA Player of the Year award after Arsenal’s failure to win the UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese playmaker is the favourite to win the honour in August.
Fernandes has already been named the Premier League Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year. Much to the ire of the Gunners’ fanbase, who feel one of their Premier League champions deserves the award.
Their chances will have improved had they won their first Champions League trophy last night. They fell to a 4-3 defeat on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
Time to crown Fernandes
Arsenal took the lead through Kai Havertz before Ousmane Dembele equalised from the penalty spot. The final went to penalties and Eberechi Eze missed the target before Gabriel Magalhaes blazed his attempt over the bar.
Gabriel is one of three members of Mikel Arteta’s squad in contention with Fernandes for the PFA Player of the Year award. Declan Rice is the biggest competition for the United captain, while David Raya is earning praise from pundits.
Rice put in a strong performance against PSG, but it was not enough to help his club get over the line. He has enjoyed a superb season but he hasn’t been the Premier League’s standout performer.
Fernandes has shone throughout the campaign and helped United finish third. The Portuguese playmaker broke the all-time assist record in a single season with 21 assists and nine goals in 35 league games.
The 31-year-old didn’t put a foot wrong and he’s already been recognised for his extraordinary exploits. It shouldn’t be up for debate that he picks up another award at the PFA awards ceremony on August 19th.
Time to hand Fernandes a title
Fernandes doesn’t need awards but they are the least he deserves for riding the storm of United’s misery in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. He is without question the best player the club have possessed since Ferguson called time on his Old Trafford reign in 2013.
The Portugal international joined the Reds from Sporting CP in January 2020 in a £67.7m deal. He made an immediate impact and has only continued to drag the club through dark periods.
INEOS are now tasked with building a squad capable of competing for major trophies and allowing Fernandes to drive the team back to the top of English football. That’s why this summer is so important, as Michael Carrick must be backed with signings that are just as influential as the skipper.
