Bruno Fernandes at 30: Failed Premier League move, Man Utd ...

Bruno Fernandes has committed his long-term future to Manchester United and Mirror Football has examined where the club captain stands at this stage of his career

As he celebrates his 30th birthday, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has shown his commitment to the Premier League club.

After four-and-a-half years at Old Trafford, the Portugal midfielder was linked with a summer exit. United had just finished eighth in the league, more than 30 points adrift of champions Manchester City, and a return to the Champions League would need to wait another year.

Fernandes hasn't taken the most orthodox path to the top, though. Despite being considered among the top talents in the Premier League, he has never won a league title in any country, though a new contract with United points to his faith in the club's ambitions.

Indeed, it wasn't until shortly before his 24th birthday that the midfielder won a trophy of any kind. He may well consider himself a late bloomer, meaning - unlike those run into the ground early in their careers - he can still offer plenty more in the years to come.

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Fernandes spent the first five years of his professional career in Italy, racking up 150 appearances during spells with Novara, Udinese and Sampdoria. While there, he played with some accomplished team-mates including Udinese legend Antonio Di Natale and evergreen Italy international Fabio Quagliarella, but he took a big step forward when given the opportunity to play in his home country for the first time.

"I work hard to achieve my goals," Fernandes told club media after joining Sporting, having spent just one year with Samp. "Next season, I want to surpass the maximum number of goals I have ever scored in a season [five].

"I have never been in a big team and that counts for a lot. So, at Sporting CP, I hope to score goals and assist my teammates," he added, singling out manager Jorge Jesus as a factor in his move.

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"We felt Bruno had the potential to be more than what he was in Italy," Jorge Jesus said just weeks into the 2017-18 season. "Luckily they [the big clubs in Italy] didn't see that.

"We are certain we've signed an excellent player, who will be the future of Sporting and the national team," the manager added. It took the midfielder just seven games to pass that tally of five goals, and it kept getting better.

After hitting double-figures in the 2017-18 season, Fernandes was named in Portugal's squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He played just twice in the competition, in group stage matches against Spain and Morocco, but his form the following season made it impossible for national team manager Fernando Santos to ignore him any longer.

A return of 33 goals, 20 in the Primeira Liga, made Fernandes the highest-scoring midfielder in Europe in the 2019-20 season. He already had 15 in the following campaign when United came calling in January, and it was an offer he couldn't refuse - though Tottenham were in the market before his current club won the battle.

"As a kid from Portugal, you can’t help but dream a bit about playing at the big grounds in England," Fernandes told The Players' Tribune in May 2024. "In the end, the clubs (Sporting and Tottenham) couldn’t reach an agreement, and the deal fell apart.

"It was a complicated emotion, but I was really happy at Sporting. I felt the love of the fans, and it was a fantastic place for me. But it was not my destiny.

"A few months went by, and the new season started, and I tried to block out all the noise. So when my agent called me in January, I was a bit shocked when he said, “No, no. I’m serious. United. What do you want to do?” I literally told (Fernandes' wife) Ana, 'I feel like I am already living a dream at Sporting. But this is…. It’s more than a dream. It’s Manchester United'."

Sometimes a January signing can take time to get acclimatised to the Premier League. Even a Manchester United great in the form of Nemanja Matic wasn't able to hit the ground running, but Fernandes had no such issues.

He needed to, as well. United sat six points outside the Champions League places when he made his debut against Wolves in 2020, with the 14-point gap to Leicester in third appearing insurmountable with 14 games of the season remaining... or at least that's what we thought.

Fernandes scored eight goals in those 14 matches and added seven assists. United went unbeaten in that stretch, drawing five games and winning nine, including a final-day victory over Leicester in what amounted to a do-or-die Champions League decider.

United and Fernandes kicked on the following season, finishing second behind Manchester City and reaching the Europa League final thanks in part to the Portuguese's 28 goals in all competitions. They haven't finished as high since, though, while Fernandes has scored 39 in 157 games after that return of 40 in his first 80.

After last season's eighth place finish, the first season with Fernandes as official club captain, questions inevitably arose about his future. Fans will struggle to come up with too many names when asked to identify those whose stock has risen since joining United over the last few names, but Fernandes will sit top of most of their lists.

Instead, though, he signed a new contract on the eve of the new Premier League season. It takes him through to June 2027, just before his 33rd birthday, by which time he could find himself among United's top 25 appearance makers of all time.

The man currently in 25th, Nicky Butt, played 385 times for United. Fernandes is currently on 237, having averaged more than 50 games per season across his four full campaigns, so that's well within his grasp.

The bigger question, of course, concerns trophies. He has won two with United, the EFL Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup last season - to go along with three cup wins at Sporting and the 2019 UEFA Nations League with Portugal - but he'll surely want to win the Premier League before ending his time in England.

“From my discussions with the football leadership and manager, it is clear how determined everyone is to fight for major trophies in the years ahead.," he said upon putting pen to paper. "I can see how positive the future is going to be and I am relishing leading this team forward.”

After a tough start to the season, though, he recognised the size of the challenge ahead. United have lost two of their first three league games, with their captain making a telling admission after a 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool.

“Yes, I am perfectly aware that this Manchester United is not ready to win the Premier League,” he told DAZN Portugal (via the MEN). “We are, indeed, fighting for the title with the concrete and real objective of trying to finish in the top four, in the places that give access to the Champions League. But there is still a lot to improve for the greater objective, and for my dream, which is to one day win this championship,”

At 30 years of age, and with no apparent plans to jump ship, it appears Fernandes has put all his eggs in the Manchester United basket. Only time will tell if he'll be rewarded for that trust.

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