After going 12 years without a Premier League trophy, the Manchester United fanbase will no doubt be getting restless at their lack of success on the field.
However, it’s certainly not been without serious efforts from the hierarchy, with the board spending a hefty chunk in the transfer market to aid their chances of top-flight success.
Over £800m has been sent since the summer of 2022, but many of the additions have subsequently failed to live up to the massive fees paid for their signatures.
Brazilian winger Anthony is arguably one of the biggest examples of their failures in the window, after paying £86m for his services three years ago, before departing for just £21m this summer.
However, despite the lack of impact from the aforementioned addition, one other player has proved his worth and made himself 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 value for many for United in the transfer market – after he joined in a £47m deal from Sporting CP back in January 2022.
In his 299 outings for the Red Devils, he’s registered 100 goals and 90 assists, but which manager has the midfielder endured the most success?
His worst period at Old Trafford came under temporary boss Ralf Rangnick, with the German in charge of just 26 matches during the 2021/22 season.
Such a period saw the 31-year-old achieve a total of just 10 combined goals and assists in his 26 outings – an average of just 0.38 contributions per 90.
His second-lowest tally of goals and assists came in the Erik ten Hag era, with the Portuguese international only able to notch 63 goal contributions in his 120 appearances.
Such a period did see the club win two trophies – the FA Cup and Carabao Cup – something which no other manager in this list has managed to achieve.
Current boss Ruben Amorim has chosen to utilise the 31-year-old in various positions, mainly the number ten and eight positions, but it has still allowed the midfielder to have a positive impact.
He’s currently on 30 combined goals and assists in the manager’s 49 outings, but such a record is still shy of the one he produced under the guidance of Ole Gunnar Solskjær.
The Norwegian utilised the Portuguese star as his key man, with such faith 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 to get the best out of Fernandes, but can Amorim do the same with one other player already within his ranks?
The United star who’s the next Fernandes
United’s season in 2024/25 was one of their worst in their history, as seen by their 15th-placed finish in the Premier League under Amorim’s guidance.
However, that didn’t stop Bruno from impressing within the final third once again, as seen by his total of 18 combined goals and assists – the most of any player in the squad.
As a result of the lack of quality, the board invested over £200m into new attacking talents, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko all arriving at Old Trafford.
Such moves haven’t prevented Mason Mount from being a key member of the squad, 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 £60m, but he’s somewhat struggled to live up to the expectations due to his injury issues.
2023/24
Unknown
37
6
2023/24
Calf
110
21
2024/25
Hamstring
23
3
2024/25
Head
2
0
2024/25
Hamstring
75
16
2025/26
Knock
20
2
Total:
6 injuries
267
48
However, the manager has since stood by the 26-year-old, subsequently starting him in five of the club’s league outings in the early stages of the 2025/26 season.
Mount has already netted his first goal of the campaign in the recent triumph over Sunderland, hopefully the first of many during the ongoing season.
Despite his recent struggles, he still has bags of time to be the club’s next version of Bruno, possessing numerous similar traits to the Portuguese international.
Mount, who’s been dubbed “world-class” by John Murtough, is capable of featuring in a number ten or eight role – just like Fernandes – subsequently highlighting his versatility.
However, his underlying stats also showcase his creativity, with the former Chelsea star ranking in the top 6% of all midfielders in England’s top-flight for long-balls completed.
He’s also created 1.6 chances per 90 to date, whilst also registering 4.3 chances in the opposition box per 90 – able to pop up in key moments – as seen against the Black Cats.
There’s no disputing that his first few years at Old Trafford have been a disappointment, but there’s a real hope that the current year can be the one in which he kick-starts his Red Devils career.
He has a long way to go until he reaches the heights of Bruno, but should he get there, Mount could play a huge role in any success endured under Amorim.