Paul Pogba Suggests Bruno Fernandes Would Be Ballon d'Or Contender at Manchester City
In a revealing interview on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has made a bold claim about current United star Bruno Fernandes. Pogba stated that if Fernandes played for Manchester City, he would likely be in the top three for the Ballon d'Or award. He attributed this to Manchester United's lack of major trophies, which he believes diminishes the recognition of Fernandes' outstanding individual performances.
Pogba's Personal Experience Shapes His Perspective
Pogba's viewpoint is deeply influenced by his own tumultuous journey at Manchester United. After initially joining the club from Le Havre as a teenager in 2009, he departed in 2012 and flourished at Juventus, securing four Serie A titles and reaching a Champions League final. His high-profile return to Old Trafford in 2016 for a then-world-record fee of £89 million came with immense expectations of leading the team to sustained success.
However, over six years, Pogba managed to win only the Europa League and League Cup, often facing criticism for his overall impact. Reflecting on this, he emphasized the importance of team context over individual effort. "We had a great team. Zlatan Ibrahimovic came, Henrikh Mkhitaryan also, you know, we had a really good team," Pogba recalled. "But in one team, you have 11 players, and I'm sure that I should have done more, but I don't know if I could have done more." He sees parallels in Fernandes' current situation, where stellar performances are overshadowed by the club's trophy drought.
Fernandes' Impressive Output and the Ballon d'Or Debate
Since his arrival at Manchester United in January 2020, Bruno Fernandes has been the team's most consistent and productive performer. His statistics place him among the elite midfielders in the Premier League, having been the club's top goalscorer for the past two consecutive seasons. In the current campaign, he recently notched his 18th assist by setting up Matheus Cunha in a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
With five games remaining, Fernandes needs just three more assists to break the Premier League record for most assists in a single season. Despite these remarkable numbers, Pogba questioned whether Fernandes can realistically achieve more at United. "I mean, I'm not comparing, but can Bruno Fernandes do more than he does now at United?" he pondered. He directly linked this to how players are evaluated in football. "Do you think Bruno, if he's in another team, he's not in the top three Ballon d'Or players? For me, you put him in City, he's in the Ballon d'Or three. With the stats this season, the way he plays and everything, but when you don't win, we don't think about you. It's like that, this is football."
Pogba's High Praise for Fernandes Among Elite Midfielders
Pogba also addressed the frequent criticism directed at Fernandes and placed him in the same category as some of the world's best midfielders. "He's not physically the same as me, he cannot jump and recover the ball like I would do, but he can do everything. He can do everything," Pogba asserted. He compared Fernandes to renowned players like Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, Mesut Ozil, and Frank Lampard, highlighting his superior statistical output.
"Talk about stats, stats. He scored more than Lampard in the season, as the same position, eight, ten, you know. He does more assists. He's everywhere on the pitch. He has a volume. He keeps running. He's smart. He can play two touches, one touch. He can shoot." Pogba believes that Fernandes' versatility and work rate make him a top-tier player, even if his achievements are not fully appreciated in the current United setup.
The Perception Challenge at Manchester United
For Paul Pogba, the core issue is not Bruno Fernandes' ability but how his performances are perceived and scrutinized at Manchester United. The club's high expectations often lead to intense criticism from both media and fans. "They need to find somebody to criticise, he's at United. They need to find somebody," Pogba noted. However, he expressed confidence that true football enthusiasts recognize Fernandes' talent. "But football lovers will always respect Bruno Fernandes... football players, they will understand that this guy is a top player."
This insight from Pogba underscores a broader debate in football about the relationship between individual brilliance and team success, particularly in the context of prestigious awards like the Ballon d'Or.
