Manchester United legend Owen Hargreaves has made a bold claim regarding the Premier League Player of the Year race, naming Bruno Fernandes as his surprise nomination for the prestigious award.
Despite another difficult season for the Red Devils, who were replaced by Michael Carrick in January, the Portuguese captain continued to be a model of elite consistency.
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In a recent interview, Hargreaves was asked whether Fernandes should be considered a frontrunner for the individual award given his form.
The former midfielder did not hesitate to support the United captain and put him above other attacking superstars in the league.
Hargreaves: ‘Bruno Fernandes will win if Arsenal lose the Premier League title’
Hargreaves admitted the final winner of the Premier League, currently led by Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, will play a big role in the vote.
However, he believes that from a pure attacking performance point of view, Fernandes is unique.
Asked if Bruno Fernandes deserves to be named Premier League Player of the Year, Hargreaves said: TNT Sports:
“He’s up there. I think he’s the best player in the Premier League at the moment, just in terms of creativity and assists.”
“If Arsenal win the league, I think it’s going to be Gabriel or Declan Rice. Gabriel is the best defender this season. If Arsenal win, I think it’s going to be one of those two. If not, I think Bruno definitely deserves to win.”
Bruno Fernandes produces record-breaking season despite club struggles
The statistics back up Mr Hargreaves’ high reputation. Despite United being third in the table and battling a mid-season managerial change, Fernandes has statistically dominated the table.
He has already appeared in 28 Premier League games this season, providing 16 assists and scoring eight goals.
His recent achievements include surpassing Manchester United’s David Beckham’s record of 15 assists in a single Premier League season.
With eight games left to play, Fernandes is within reach of Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s all-time Premier League assist record of 20.
Having created over 100 chances already this season, he has an undeniable case to be crowned the league’s best, regardless of where United finish in the table.
