Troy Deeney makes damning Man United claim amid major Bruno Fernandes development
Troy Deeney has outlined how poor Manchester United’s season could have been without the services of captain and talisman Bruno Fernandes.
The Red Devils endured a largely woeful season, finishing just 15th in the Premier League, as well as losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
But Fernandes’ positive performances have been unrelenting regardless of the North West side’s poor exploits, as he notched 19 goals and 18 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions this term.
The Portugal international made 18 goal contributions in the Premier League alone, helping Man United navigate their way through an often challenging top-flight season.
Man United ‘would have been relegated’ without Fernandes
While the Red Devils finished just 15th in the Premier League, Ruben Amorim’s side ultimately finished 17 points clear of the relegation zone.
But speaking live on talkSPORT [30 May], Deeney claimed: “You can’t deny his (Fernandes’) quality. If it wasn’t for him this season, they probably would be relegated.”
Fernandes showed his class for Man United once more on the final day of the Premier League season, as he created the assist for Amad Diallo’s goal in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa.
Man United could sell Fernandes
While Deeney’s claim that Amorim’s men would have been relegated without Fernandes is a very bold one, there is no doubt that the 30-year-old is an extremely key figure at Old Trafford.
| Bruno Fernandes stats | Premier League 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 36 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 10 |
However, former Red Devils chief scout Mick Brown exclusively told Football Insider that Man United could sell Fernandes for an offer of between £80- 100million.
Meanwhile, BBC Sport have reported [30 May] that the playmaker is considering joining Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal ahead of this summer’s Club World Cup.
Amorim must oversee a major rebuild during the summer transfer window, but losing the services of the ever-reliable Fernandes could prove costly moving forward.
Man United are considering swapping Rasmus Hojlund for Victor Osimhen, who has excelled in his loan spell with Galatasaray, having previously fired parent club Napoli to the Serie A title in the 2022/23 season.
Osimhen could prove to be a solid acquisition for the Old Trafford side, but filling the potential void left by Fernandes could be a tall order.