Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was a leading contender for the PFA Player of the Year award at Tuesday night's ceremony in Manchester. The event at the Opera House Theatre saw the football world descend on the city for the Professional Footballers' Association Awards.
Fernandes arrived at the red carpet event following a fantastic 2025-26 individual campaign. He broke the Premier League assists record for a single season with 21 assists, won the Football Writers' Association's men's Footballer of the Year award in May, and was named Premier League player of the season. His presence highlighted a busy day for the club, which also completed the £70 million transfer of midfielder Carlos Baleba from Brighton and Hove Albion. Baleba is expected to play behind Fernandes in the United midfield.
Who else represented Manchester United?
Head coach Michael Carrick and CEO Omar Berrada joined Bruno Fernandes as the club's representatives at the awards. Their attendance came as United look to build momentum after a difficult start to the new Premier League season. The team currently sits 16th in the table with 0 points from one game, having lost their opener and conceded two goals without scoring. They are already three points behind early leaders Brighton ahead of their next fixtures, a home match against Ipswich Town on 30 August.
United's focus is now squarely on improving that league standing. The signing of Baleba is a direct attempt to bolster a squad that has begun the campaign with a -2 goal difference. You can view the full squad details on our club site.
What was the wider football scene at the event?
Arsenal had a strong contingent of five players in attendance, led by Declan Rice alongside David Raya, Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Magalhaes, and William Saliba. Their rivals Manchester City were represented by three players, including young academy graduate Nico O'Reilly. The 21-year-old O'Reilly, who ended the season in England's World Cup squad, was the favourite to win the PFA Young Player of the Year award. City's Antoine Semenyo was also present after a prolific season split between Bournemouth and the Etihad.
The women's game was well represented too. Arsenal Women sent Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Emily Fox, and Olivia Smith. Former Lionesses Karen Carney, Eni Aluko, Jordan Nobbs, and Toni Duggan were also among the guests.
Were there any notable off-field discussions?
A significant subplot involved former players speaking out on governance issues. Ex-United defender Mikael Silvestre, who is part of FIFA's 16-strong Players' Voice Panel formed to tackle racism, shared a statement on social media platform X. The statement, which said "Like them, we have watched the game we love drift away from its core values under FIFA's current leadership," was shared by France's 1998 World Cup winner Emmanuel Petit and England's Lucy Bronze. Silvestre himself added, "Enough is enough!"
This player activism comes as FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces calls to quit from UEFA counterpart Aleksander Ceferin. The pressure follows a controversial plan to sell stakes in a company set up to run the World Cup to private investors.
How does this set up United's immediate future?
The awards night and new signing provide a distraction from United's concerning early-season form. With the team yet to score a goal and sitting in the bottom five of the standings, the integration of Baleba and the continued leadership of Fernandes will be critical. The club's hierarchy, represented by Berrada at the event, is clearly acting to address the squad's needs. All attention now turns to the Ipswich match, a key opportunity to secure their first points of the season and begin climbing the table from their current lowly position.
