Paul Pogba claims Bruno Fernandes would be in Ballon d'Or contention if he played for Man City instead of Man Utd

Pogba identifies the 'missing piece' for Bruno

Despite being United's most consistent performer since his arrival in 2020, Fernandes has never quite reached the final podium for football's individual top prize. Pogba, who shared the pitch with the midfielder 79 times during their stint together in Manchester, believes the environment at Old Trafford is the only thing holding his former team-mate back. Speaking on the

The Manchester City hypothetical

Pogba was blunt in his assessment of why individual accolades often follow team success. He said: "Can Bruno Fernandes do more than he does now at United? Do you think if Bruno is in another team, he’s not in the top three [for the Ballon d’Or] player? For me, you put him at City, he’s in the [final] three for the Ballon d’Or. Bruno Fernandes, with the stats, the season, the way he plays and everything..."

The Frenchman’s comments highlight a harsh reality in modern football where the Golden Ball is almost exclusively reserved for players who dominate Europe's elite competitions. "But when you don’t win, we don’t even think about it. It’s like that. This is life. This is football," Pogba added.

Comparing Fernandes to the Premier League greats

Fernandes has registered 211 goal involvements in just 322 appearances across all competitions for United, yet his trophy cabinet only contains an FA Cup and a Carabao Cup. Pogba suggests that Fernandes should be held in the same breath as

"We talk about Kevin De Bruyne. We talk about Luka Modric, talk about Mesut Ozil," Pogba continued. "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'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."

Chasing Premier League history

With five games remaining in their Premier League schedule, the United captain is just two assists away from matching the legendary single-season record of 20, currently shared by De Bruyne and Thierry Henry. Along with his creative output, Fernandes has also chipped in with eight goals, making him a front-runner for the Premier League Player of the Year award regardless of United's league position. He will be back in action when United face Brentford on April 27.