Bruno Fernandes Named Premier League Player Of The Season 2025-26

Bruno Fernandes has been named the Premier League’s Player of the Season for 2025-26 after a dominant campaign. The Manchester United captain has driven the team from midfield and remains central to their attack with one league match, away at Brighton, still remaining.

Manchester United have already secured third place before facing Brighton on Sunday. The season has also brought clarity off the pitch, with the club confirming Michael Carrick as permanent head coach on Friday, adding stability around Fernandes and the rest of the squad.

Fernandes claimed the award ahead of several major contenders from across the league. The shortlist featured Arsenal’s title-winning trio Gabriel Magalhaes, David Raya and Declan Rice, Manchester City pair Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo, Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White and Brentford striker Igor Thiago.

The Portugal international has delivered 20 Premier League assists so far, equalling the single-season record. That haul matches Thierry Henry’s 2002-03 total and Kevin De Bruyne’s 2019-20 figure, leaving Fernandes one assist from holding the record outright.

Fernandes has also scored eight league goals, giving 28 direct goal contributions this season. Only Erling Haaland has more, with 35 contributions from 27 goals and eight assists. Fernandes’ influence extends across matches, with creativity and set-piece quality shaping Manchester United’s attacking output.

Bruno Fernandes Premier League Player of the Season creativity stats

Across the campaign, Fernandes has created 132 chances, far more than any other player. That total is at least 58 higher than Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai, who is second with 74. The gap underlines Fernandes’ role as the league’s leading chance creator.

Breaking those chances down, Fernandes has produced 95 from open play, comfortably ahead of second-placed Jeremy Doku on 59. From dead-ball situations, Fernandes has created 37 chances, which places Fernandes level with Szoboszlai for most chances from set-pieces this season.

Bruno Fernandes Premier League Player of the Season and Manchester United history

Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to win the Premier League Player of the Season award since Nemanja Vidic in 2010-11. That earlier award completed a run of five straight seasons with a United winner, highlighting a dominant spell for players at Old Trafford.

During that run, Cristiano Ronaldo collected the prize in 2006-07 and 2007-08, followed by Vidic in 2008-09 and Wayne Rooney in 2009-10. The broader list of Manchester United winners also includes Peter Schmeichel in 1995-96, Dwight Yorke in 1998-99 and Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03.

Overall, seven different Manchester United players have now received the Premier League Player of the Season award, more than any other club. The nine total wins for individuals representing United stand as a competition record, and Fernandes’ 2025-26 honour extends that leading position.