The 'Football For Dummies' book will no doubt outline that it is inadvisable for a football club to give new contracts to players with an interim manager in charge. Manchester United defied that rule by giving Bruno Fernandes a new deal last season.
The appointment of Erik ten Hag was yet to be made official and Ralf Rangnick was in charge when Fernandes' contract extension was announced in April. If United had to make an exception to that rule for any player at the club, it was always going to be just for Fernandes. The midfielder has been United's best player since making the move to Manchester in January 2020.
Fernandes made the switch to Old Trafford for £47million from Sporting Lisbon and he made an immediate impact. Fernandes scored 12 goals and created eight assists in his first 22 appearances during his debut campaign - which was interrupted by the pandemic - and he swiftly became the driving force behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side. His impact was remarkable and his displays were talismanic.
