Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes has hit another level recently as the Red Devils fight to remain in the top four and clinch a UEFA Champions League spot for the 2023-24 season.
Fernandes stood out as Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday at City Ground. During the latest episode of Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe With FIVE, the former player compared the Portuguese’s current form to Lionel Messi’s.
“His passing, he’s creating chances,” Ferdinand said of Fernandes. “His stats, only Messi rivals him in terms of goal involvements since he signed for United.
“I’m not saying he is on Messi’s level, no one is saying that Bruno is on Messi’s level, he’s not. But only Messi is above him in those stats. He needs Eriksen to get to that other level. Eriksen the amount of easy passes he makes that are just great for teammates.”
Despite Paris Saint-Germain crashing in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Messi has bounced back this season. The Argentine also used his ability to adapt to the French capital to help lead La Albiceleste to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
While Fernandes might not be leading Manchester United or Portugal to any silverware, the 28-year-old could be reaching another level, as he’s in the middle of his prime years.
It will be interesting to see whether Fernandes can hold onto this level heading into the 2023-24 season and the UEFA Euro 2024 as Portugal looks for a player to lead the team in what’s likely the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era.
