Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes Eyes Premier League Assist Record Amid Contract Talks

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has not come close to winning the Premier League or Champions League since joining the club in 2020.

He lifted a couple of domestic cups under Erik ten Hag. If United finish third this season, it will mark a position they have bettered only once during Fernandes' time at Old Trafford.

That amounts to a modest return for a player many call United's best signing since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. He deserves a place among the club's top performers in the Premier League era.

On Friday, the Football Writers' Association named him footballer of the year. Fernandes plays down individual awards.

In October, he told media: "I don't see it that one player is better than another because he wins more trophies. Not every time the best player in the world is the one that wins the Ballon d'Or. I want to win trophies. I want to be recognised by the many good things I did for the club, for bringing something back to the club, not just my individual numbers."

United will end the season without a trophy. Fernandes still has key milestones ahead.

He needs one more assist to equal the Premier League record of 20 in a single campaign, shared by Arsenal's Thierry Henry and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne.

Fernandes leads this season's assists chart by eight over Manchester City's Rayan Cherki. West Ham's Jarrod Bowen sits third with 10.

The record matters to Fernandes, who will feature for Portugal at the World Cup this summer. One teammate suggested Fernandes would have shot against Brentford recently instead of assisting striker Benjamin Sesko. Fernandes dismissed that.

He also leads odds for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, which Henry and De Bruyne each won twice.

Would the assist record and another player of the year honor cement Fernandes as one of the Premier League's most creative forces?

The 'assist king' label often implies a creator. Reality differs.

Over the past five seasons, Liverpool's Mohamed Salah topped assists twice. Strikers Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa and Harry Kane, then at Tottenham, did so once each. None fit the playmaker mold of De Bruyne, who led four times.

Cesc Fabregas offers a closer parallel during his Arsenal stint. As a regular from 2004 to 2011, the Spaniard topped assists twice. His biggest domestic prize then was the FA Cup. He did not win the Premier League until joining Chelsea after Barcelona.

In the Premier League's early years, Southampton's Matt le Tissier and Liverpool's Steve McManaman topped the assists chart. Neither won a league title.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard led assists in 2013-14. He won PFA Player of the Year in 2006 and the FWA version in 2009. Gerrard lifted the Champions League in 2005 but never the league. Few question his status as a Premier League great.

United fans want assurance their talisman stays. His contract runs one more year, with a club option for another.

Fernandes rejected a big offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal last summer. Many expected him to leave without Champions League qualification. With that now secured, he wants extension talks. United will discuss but aims to control the wage bill.

The club feels strong: Fernandes turns 33 if the option triggers at contract end.

A €65 million (£56.23 million) release clause could let him join a non-English club if triggered early. Fernandes remains excited about Old Trafford challenges. It is unclear how that changes if the clause activates and United fall short.

Before Saturday's Premier League game at Sunderland, interim head coach Michael Carrick addressed the matter.

"With Bruno, you can see he's happy and he's playing some fantastic football, maybe as good as he's played - and he's had really good spells here," Carrick said. "He's got a big end to the season here and a big summer, of course. But, yes, as a football club, we love having him here. He's a big part of what we do."