Amorim unlocked new Bruno Fernandes in ‘world class’ Man Utd star

After 12 years without a Premier League trophy, Manchester United fans will no doubt be worried about their lack of success on the pitch.

However, this has certainly not come without serious effort from the hierarchy, with the board spending a significant portion of the transfer market to improve their chances of success in the top flight.

More than £800million has been sent out since the summer of 2022, but many additions have subsequently failed to live up to the massive fees paid for their signings.

Brazilian winger Anthony is arguably one of the biggest examples of their failures, having paid £86m for his services three years ago, before leaving for just £21m this summer.

However, despite the lack of impact from the aforementioned addition, another player proved his worth and became one of the best signings in the club’s history.

Bruno Fernandes’ record under different Man Utd managers

Bruno Fernandes is just one example of a player who has proven his worth to many for United in the transfer market – having joined in a £47million deal from Sporting CP in January 2022.

In his 299 outings for the Red Devils, he has scored 100 goals and 90 assists, but which manager has the midfielder enjoyed the most success?

His worst spell at Old Trafford came under caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick, with the German managing just 26 matches during the 2021/22 season.

Such a spell has seen the 31-year-old achieve a total of just 10 goals and assists in total in his 26 outings, averaging just 0.38 contributions per 90.

His second lowest total of goals and assists came during the Erik ten Hag era, with the Portugal international only managing to score 63 goals in 120 appearances.

Such a period saw the club win two trophies – the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup – something no other manager on this list has managed to achieve.

Current boss Ruben Amorim has opted to use the 31-year-old in various positions, mainly number ten and eight, but this has still allowed the midfielder to make a positive impact.

He currently has 30 goals and assists in total in the manager’s 49 outings, but such a record still falls short of what he produced under Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

The Norwegian used the Portuguese star as a key man, with such confidence reflected in his tally of 79 goals and assists, an average of 0.81 contributions per game.

It’s clear that Solskjaer was the boss in getting the best out of Fernandes, but can Amorim do the same with another player already in his ranks?

The United star who is the next Fernandes

United’s 2024/25 season was one of the worst in their history, as evidenced by their 15th place finish in the Premier League under Amorim’s stewardship.

However, that didn’t stop Bruno from impressing once again in the final third, as evidenced by his tally of 18 goals and assists, the most of any player in the team.

Due to the lack of quality, the board invested over £200m in new attacking talent, with Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all arriving at Old Trafford.

Such decisions have not stopped Mason Mount from being a key member of the team, with the Englishman still playing a vital role during Amorim’s tenure.

He joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2023 for a fee in the region of £60million, but has somewhat struggled to live up to expectations due to his injury problems.

However, the manager has since stuck by the 26-year-old, subsequently starting him in five league matches for the club at the start of the 2025/26 season.

Mount has already scored his first goal of the campaign in the recent triumph over Sunderland, hopefully the first of many in the current season.

Despite his recent struggles, there is still plenty of time for him to be the club’s next version of Bruno, possessing many similar traits to the Portugal international.

Mount, who has been described as “world class” by John Murtough, is capable of playing a number ten or eight role – as is Fernandes – subsequently highlighting his versatility.

However, his underlying statistics also show his creativity, with the former Chelsea star ranking in the top 6% of midfielders in England’s top flight for successful long balls.

He has also created 1.6 chances per 90 to date, while registering 4.3 chances in the opposition box per 90 – capable of popping up in key moments – as seen against the Black Cats.

There is no doubt that his early years at Old Trafford have been a disappointment, but there is real hope that the current year could be the one in which he launches his career with the Red Devils.

He has a long way to go before reaching Bruno’s heights, but if he does, Mount could play a huge role in any success under Amorim.