Dean Saunders believes Manchester United should sell Bruno Fernandes to fund a summer rebuild, as he dismissed the midfielder’s incredible assist record.
Fernandes has been widely hailed as the Red Devils’ best player in recent years, and enjoyed an historic 2025/26 campaign by breaking the Premier League record for the most assists in a single season.
The United skipper set up a huge 21 goals last term, surpassing the previous best shared by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.
His stunning individual campaign saw him crowned the Football Writers’ Association’s (FWA) men’s Footballer of the Year, and helped propel his team to an impressive third-place Premier League finish.
But with United now set for a first Champions League campaign since 2024, they have set about bolstering their squad ahead of it.
The Red Devils are in the process of a midfield rebuild, having already snapped up Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos from their Premier League rivals, while they are interested in France duo Aurelien Tchouameni and Manu Kone.
‘Brainless’
As Man United weigh up how they will fund any further summer spending, talkSPORT’s Saunders pointed to Fernandes.
There is currently no suggestion that the 31-year-old will be going anywhere, as he has a year left on his existing contract, with a one-year extension option.
And while many would label Fernandes indispensable – who has 107 goals and 108 assists in his United career – Saunders was less convinced by his exploits in the latter field.
On Friday’s Breakfast Show, he floated around the idea of offloading United’s talismanic captain this summer to talkSPORT’s Chief Football Correspondent, and Red Devils superfan Alex Crook.
To this, Crook responded: “If you’re going to say Bruno Fernandes, the answer is no chance.”
He continued: “21 assists last season. Wears the captain’s armband, been the best player by a country mile since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club.
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“Absolutely brainless to even contemplate that.”
Appearances can be deceptive
Despite Crook’s adamant response, Saunders argued that Fernandes’ incredible assist statistics could be deceptive.
The former Wales international claimed the Portuguese playmaker’s numbers are largely dependent on those around him, insisting his teammates can put him in positions to claim easy assists.
Saunders said: “This assist business, I don’t get it.
“I asked Jamie O’Hara the other night, how many assists did you get in your career? He went: ‘I don’t know’. I said: ‘Yeah, because no one ever told you and we never counted them’.
“The assists depend on who you’re playing with.
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“So, for example, if Harry Maguire robs the ball off the centre forward and pokes it to Fernandes and he first times it round the corner for me to go clean through and score, who gets the assist? Harry Maguire or Fernandes? Or both?”
Arguing his case, Saunders insisted Fernandes’ upturn in goal contributions was due to him having more clinical players ahead of him.
In the 2024/25 campaign, United recorded a record-low 16th-place Premier League finish, with striker Rasmus Hojlund scoring just four league goals.
By contrast, Michael Carrick’s side finished third last term with three of their attacking players hitting double digits in league goals – Bryan Mbeumo (11), Benjamin Sesko (11) and Matheus Cunha (10).
Saunders continued: “If you’re playing with Robbie Fowler and you’re a left winger, John Barnes, say, and he’s whipping crosses in the face of the goal, Robbie Fowler’s finishing every cross that comes across – 10 goals, 10 crosses.
“Then he plays with Darwin Nunez, who manages to miss from everywhere. So John Barnes’ stats are down because they’re not getting finished.
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“Tugay [Kerimoglu] played for Blackburn. He hit Damien Duff’s chest on the left wing every five minutes [to then cross] – Damien Duff’s [assist] stats were up, and then we signed Andy Cole and his stats went up again because he was finishing them. It’s a team game.”
Crook was unable to argue with this, who admitted: “It’s made a difference that Fernandes was hitting Cunha and Mbeumo and Sesko last season, and not Rasmus Hojlund.”
No debate
However, Crook was insistent that Fernandes’ record-breaking statistics are still incredibly impressive, who also set a new record for the most big chances created in a Premier League season last term.
He added: “To set up 21 goals over the course of a Premier League season is not to be shied away from.”
And the talkSPORT reporter insisted Fernandes’ influence at Old Trafford cannot be understated, as he has reached double figures in goal contributions in all of his full seasons at the club.
Crook told Saunders: “Take that away, there’s no conversation that since Fergie left the club, Bruno Fernandes has been the most important person at Manchester United.”
