London [UK], April 22 : Footballer Paul Pogba suggested the star footballer Bruno Fernandes is being held back at Manchester United and could be a Ballon d'Or contender if he moves to another club, such as Manchester City, who have been on a title-winning spree in European football over the years.
Pogba, currently at AS Monaco, was speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Podcast. During the podcast, he suggested that the Portugal star would have witnessed a change in narrative surrounding him if he was a part of Manchester City, who also completed a treble, including the UEFA Champions League, back in the 2022-23 season.
Speaking during the podcast, as quoted by Goal.com, Pogba said, "Can Bruno Fernandes do more than he does now at United? Do you think if Bruno is in another team, he is not in the top three [for the Ballon d'Or] player? For me, you put him at City, he is in the [final] three for the Ballon d'Or. Bruno Fernandes, with the stats, the season, the way he plays and everything..."
He highlighted that such massive individual awards are dominated by players who dominate the European football scene by winning major trophies, saying, "But when you do not win, we do not even think about it. It's like that. This is life. This is football."
Fernandes has been involved in 211 goal involvements for Manchester United over the years, and yet he is yet to win a Premier League or UEFA Champions League with the club, having won only the FA Cup and Carabao Cup since his club debut in 2020.
Manchester United last won a Premier League back in 2012-13 and a UEFA Champions League title in 2007-08. In the current Premier League season, Manchester United are at the third place with 16 wins, 10 draws and seven losses, giving them 58 points. However, they are still way below the top-two of Arsenal (70 points) and Manchester City (67 points), with very slim chance to capture the title.
Pogba also said that the 31-year-old Fernandes should be mentioned in the same breath as serial trophy winners like Kevin De Bruyne, Luka Modric, and Mesut Ozil.
"We talk about Kevin De Bruyne. We talk about Luka Modric, talk about Mesut Ozil. Talk about stats, stats. He scored more than Frank Lampard in the season, as the same position, eight, 10, you know. He does more assists. He is everywhere on the pitch. He has a volume. He keeps running. He is smart. He can play two touches, one touch. He can shoot," he concluded.
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