How will Bruno Fernandes fit in under Ruben Amorim at Man Utd?
It's hard to believe that many Manchester United heroes have emerged from the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Since the Scotsman departed, the club has been caught in a relentless cycle: sack one coach, hire another, and the players show promise for a season or so, only for form to slip, and the next manager is dismissed. Hire. Sack. Repeat. But if there’s been one constant source of positivity, it’s undoubtedly Bruno Fernandes.
He’s easily been the best player and figure at the club since 2013. When he eventually leaves, he will go down as a club legend. One can only imagine how much more he could have achieved if he had been part of a club that wasn’t grappling with a mini-crisis two to three times each season.
Bruno Fernandes Transfer Value - how much is he worth now?
According to FootballTransfers' Player Valuation Model, Fernandes has a current Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €55.2m, while we have him as being the fourth in Most Valuable Portuguese Players and fifth in Best Portuguese Players.
Fernandes signed for United in 2020 for €65m from Sporting CP. It was only a matter of months later when his value rose to around €75m. Thereafter, it climbed to a peak of €87.7m. Since then, his value has started to come down, with his Old Trafford contract up in 2027.
What does Bruno Fernandes bring to the table?
Since his debut, Fernandes has missed just 15 games for United, with 234 appearances. This makes him the most-played Premier League player during that time. He recently reached 100 Premier League goal involvements in 170 appearances, just one more than Cristiano Ronaldo. In total, Fernandes has 155 combined goals and assists, second only to Mohamed Salah. His 72 assists rank second in the league, only behind Kevin De Bruyne’s 84.
On paper, it may seem as though Fernandes would not work in Ruben Amorim's system. The Portugal international did well in Erik ten Hag's 4-2-3-1 setup, playing as the No.10 directly behind the striker. But he appeared limited when the Dutchman, for some reason, poised him in the double pivot, and equally ineffective when he was played as the sole striker.
Amorim’s tactical setup encourages fluid attacking movements higher up the pitch, with a front three that includes two wingers and a No.9. The trident rotates frequently and exploits space between the lines. A lot of the build-up is done on the flank, using the two wingers and wing-backs. Attacking sequencers were made via runs made by the likes of Marcus Edwards, Pote, Trincao, and Bruno Tabata.
Fernandes can find freedom further up the pitch, however, as United do have ball-playing centre-backs in their ranks. Their ability to pose a high line can give Fernandes the freedom to push on into space in the final third where he is most dangerous. “He's a really smart manager that has done really good things for Sporting tactically – it’s really good, what I've seen from the games for Sporting,” Fernandes said of Amorim in a recent interview with the club's media.
“But obviously as we always speak, you can't bring or transform what he has done at Sporting into here, because you have different players, you have different ways of playing and everything. I'm pretty sure that the idea of football he has, independent of the way he wants to play, is going to be a good one and it's going to bring us success.
Fernandes will undoubtedly continue to shine under Amorim, just as he had done before under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ralf Rangnick, and Ten Hag. The 30-year-old has shown that he is extremely adaptable and able to flourish under different systems, though some more than others. As he enters his 30s and his legs start to give way, maybe a deeper role would be better for the veteran. But, whatever the case may be, you just get the sense that Fernandes may need another lease of life under his compatriot Amorim, only one which we have not seen before.
This article was provided by FootballTransfers
