Sunderland’s captain Granit Xhaka has placed Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes at the top when ranking him alongside Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz. Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Arsenal midfielder was asked to list the three players in order of ability.
“Fernandes has proved his quality for so many years,” Xhaka said. “His statistics are incredible, and I respect him a lot. Bruno comes first for me.”
The Swiss midfielder, who knows what it’s like to face scrutiny for his temperament, made it clear that Fernandes’ long-term consistency has set him apart from the others.
Fernandes’ influence and future speculation
Despite Manchester United’s mixed fortunes in recent seasons, Fernandes has maintained high performance levels. In the previous Premier League campaign, the United skipper recorded eight goals and 10 assists, while also scoring seven times during the club’s run to the Europa League final.
Though he has occasionally drawn criticism for his emotional reactions and leadership methods, Fernandes’ output has been difficult to question. Transfer rumours have circulated in recent windows, including a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia over the summer, which he declined in order to remain at Old Trafford.
During the current international break, the 31-year-old addressed the speculation surrounding both his future and a possible Saudi investment in United. “I didn’t reject the Saudi move because of the World Cup,” he explained. “I stayed because I wanted to, and the club wanted the same. That’s all.” He added that such a scenario “was never discussed” with him.
Palmer injured, Wirtz yet to impress
Palmer has emerged as one of the league’s standout names over the last two seasons, but the Chelsea attacker is currently unavailable due to injury.
Wirtz, meanwhile, joined Liverpool in a record-breaking transfer but has found the Premier League challenging so far. The 21-year-old has not registered a goal or assist in his first seven appearances for the club, struggling to reproduce the performances he delivered for Bayer Leverkusen and the German national team.
