Man Utd Repeats Bruno Fernandes Transfer Trick with New Signing

Bruno Fernandes has been the best Man Utd signing in years but one of the crop of 2025 could challenge him for the title. The debate over Manchester United's best signing since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era is a short one. Bruno Fernandes stands head and shoulders above the rest in just about every category imaginable. The Portuguese is a big game player who has delivered time and again when it matters most. For quality, for impact, for longevity, he ticks every box. At the end of next week, he will celebrate six years at Old Trafford and he is still the best player at the club. United paid an initial £47million to sign Fernandes from Sporting and even if that fee rises to the potential £67million if every add-on is met, it will still be exceptional value. The 31-year-old could yet be approaching the endgame at Old Trafford, but if he does depart, it will leave a significant hole in the team. FOLLOW OUR MAN UNITED FACEBOOK PAGE!Latest news and analysis via the MEN’s Manchester United Facebook page Fernandes stands out for his quality, but also for his rarity. United's recruitment had been haphazard over the last 13 years and there haven't been anywhere near enough success stories to match Fernandes. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a good free transfer, but his impact was short-term. Luke Shaw looks a good deal because of the length of time he has survived at the club. Ander Herrera was a solid acquisition, so too Casemiro, although his fee was big for a 30-year-old. Lisandro Martinez might be up there but for the bad luck he has suffered with injuries. It is early days, but United's summer spending spree looks like a better investment. Senne Lammens has been good, Matheus Cunha has flickered and Benjamin Sesko has shown promise for a young striker. But Bryan Mbeumo sticks out above them all. The 26-year-old produced another exceptional attacking display in Saturday's derby victory, taking his goal superbly and running himself into the ground in a centre-forward role that demanded he pull City's defenders out of position. Mbeumo forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into an excellent save and looked to be relishing the big occasion. He has made a habit of that since his initial £65million move from Brentford in the summer. The question for players when they make a step up of that size is how they will cope in the harsher spotlight. Mbeumo had Premier League experience, but a CV consisting of Troyes and Brentford couldn't prepare him for this. That he has hit the ground running is a positive sign. It is exactly what Fernandes did in the second half of the 2019/20 season, when he immediately looked like he belonged and took responsibility in a United shirt. Mbeumo's return of eight goals and an assist in 18 appearances for United is good, but just as encouraging is who he has made an impact against. There have now been goals against Liverpool, Tottenham and City. He is proving key in the biggest games and after his performance at the weekend, he will fancy a crack at Arsenal on Sunday. He has a long way to go to match the contribution Fernandes has made at United, but this has been an excellent start. For too long, United managers have had to rely solely on Fernandes as the big-game hunter. He has always been the player you turn to when the team needs a spark. Now, Mbeumo is showing evidence that he can be there as well. It was no surprise that the two of them teamed up to create the first goal against Pep Guardiola's side at the weekend. Recruitment has long been a major issue at United, but Mbeumo is shaping up to be a success story.