Bruno Fernandes on brink of Premier League assists record as Manchester United push for Champions League

Key facts

• Bruno Fernandes has 19 assists in the Premier League this season, nearly twice as many as the next player (Rayan Cherki and Jarrod Bowen on 10).
• He has created 114 chances, ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai and Declan Rice (both 61).
• Fernandes has 28 big chances created (Opta-defined), the most in the league.
• He needs one assist to tie Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20) and Thierry Henry (2002/03) for the single-season record.
• Ten of his 19 assists have come from set pieces (free-kicks and corners).
• Manchester United have secured a top-five finish, guaranteeing Champions League football next season.
• Fernandes has 11 goal contributions under interim manager Michael Carrick since January 2026.
• Galatasaray are interested in signing Fernandes, but United are optimistic he will stay.

A season of creative dominance

Bruno Fernandes stands one assist away from equalling the Premier League single-season record, a mark shared by Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20) and Thierry Henry (2002/03). With four games remaining, the Manchester United captain has already supplied 19 assists, nearly double the tally of his nearest rivals, Rayan Cherki and Jarrod Bowen, who have 10 each. The 31-year-old has created 114 chances this season, far ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai and Declan Rice, both on 61. He also leads the league in Opta-defined big chances created with 28. His set-piece delivery has been a major factor: ten of his assists have come from free-kicks and corners, compared to only two and three for Henry and De Bruyne respectively. Yet even in open play, Fernandes ranks comfortably top for chances created, underscoring his all-round creativity.

The tactical shift under Michael Carrick

Fernandes’s resurgence coincides with Michael Carrick’s appointment as interim manager in January 2026. Carrick reinstated Fernandes in the No. 10 role, after former manager Ruben Amorim had deployed him deeper in midfield during the first half of the season. The change has yielded 11 goal contributions from Fernandes under Carrick. Carrick has led United to seven wins in ten matches, lifting the club to third in the Premier League table and securing a top-five finish, which guarantees Champions League qualification. The caretaker manager recently tipped Fernandes to win the Premier League Player of the Season award. Fernandes has scored eight goals and provided 17 assists in 30 appearances across all competitions this season, all but one of them starts.

Contract uncertainty and Saudi interest

Fernandes’s future at Old Trafford remains subject to speculation as he enters the final year of his contract this summer, with an option to extend by a further season. indicated that the club’s hierarchy is divided over whether to offer him a new deal. However, acclaimed journalist Fabrizio Romano has stated that United are optimistic about keeping Fernandes. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano said: “What I can tell you is that over the recent weeks, the prospect of playing Champions League football again at Manchester United is really, really making an impact on Bruno Fernandes.” He added that Saudi Arabian clubs “still want Bruno as they always wanted Bruno three years ago, two years ago, one year ago. So, they remain interested.” But Fernandes is “really tempted by playing Champions League football with Man United,” and the club hopes to retain him.

Galatasaray renew their pursuit

Turkish champions Galatasaray have expressed renewed interest in signing Fernandes this summer.g. The Istanbul club had already tried to sign him in 2025. They now want to get in contact with his camp again, though they acknowledge that United’s Champions League qualification makes a transfer unlikely. United have no plans to sell Fernandes, and the player himself appears content to stay. The club’s return to Europe’s elite competition is seen as a key factor in persuading him to remain. Galatasaray, who won the Turkish Super Lig last season, face an uphill battle to prise him away.

The record within reach

Fernandes’s next opportunity to set a new mark comes on Sunday when Manchester United host Liverpool in a match broadcast live on Sky Sports. If he provides an assist, he will tie De Bruyne and Henry; with four games left, he could surpass them. At his current rate, he would finish the season with 22 assists. Since arriving from Sporting in January 2020, Fernandes has been the Premier League’s most creative player. His 19 assists this season are by far his highest single-season total, and the gap between him and the rest of the league is unprecedented. The numbers reflect a player operating at the peak of his creative powers, driving his team’s revival.

What lies ahead

Manchester United’s remaining fixtures include matches against Sunderland, Nottingham Forest, and Brighton after the Liverpool clash. Each presents an opportunity for Fernandes to extend his assist tally and cement his name in the record books. Off the pitch, contract negotiations will resume at the end of the season, with Champions League football now secured as a bargaining chip. For now, Fernandes’s focus is on the pitch. The Portuguese playmaker has transformed United’s season under Carrick, and his individual brilliance has become central to the team’s identity. Whether he stays beyond this summer remains an open question, but his impact on the current campaign is already historic.

The bottom line

• Bruno Fernandes needs one more assist to tie the Premier League single-season record held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry.
• He has created 114 chances this season, nearly double the next-best player, and leads in big chances created (28).
• His set-piece delivery accounts for ten of his 19 assists, but he also tops the open-play chances created chart.
• Michael Carrick’s appointment as interim manager and the shift to a No. 10 role have unlocked Fernandes’s best form.
• Manchester United have secured Champions League qualification, which is a key factor in Fernandes’s likely decision to stay.
• Galatasaray remain interested, but United are optimistic about keeping Fernandes amid contract talks this summer.