Bruno Fernandes: a year with Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes appears to have transformed Manchester United since his arrival in January 2019, with the the Portuguese star leading the club into a new era, for the first time since the departure of Alex Ferguson, claiming them top spot in the Premier League for a short period early in January.

Fernandes the United catalyst

The 26-year-old picked up his second consecutive Premier League Player of the Month Award (POTM), bringing his total tally to four.

Having made his debut on 1 February 2020, exactly a year ago, he now has as many POTM awards as Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry, Frank Lampard, Jamie Vardy and former Old Trafford midfield hero Paul Scholes, whom Fernandes has been compared to by another United legend, Bryan Robson.

"Well after the first six games that he played, I couldn't give him any bigger compliment than say he's the closest to Paul Scholes I've seen," Robson said.

"The way he turns with his back to play, the vision he's got, the touch on the ball, the great goals he can score."

One problem that exists for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is that Fernandes has not often stepped up in the big games. If there is more to come from the Portuguese man, and United can strengthen the first team, that long-awaited title may not be too far in the future.