Bruno Fernandes finished the season on a record 21 Premier League assists, but the split around Kobbie Mainoo is the more useful detail for Manchester United looking ahead. Fernandes produced 12 assists in 16 games when Mainoo started. When Mainoo was not on the pitch, he managed only four.

Why the Mainoo split matters

That is a sharp difference, even allowing for the small sample. Fernandes was still the same player, but the numbers suggest he was getting into better positions, or at least receiving the ball in better areas, with Mainoo behind him. Mainoo gave him a cleaner platform to create from, and Fernandes' final-ball output reflected it.

The wider season also gives the partnership more weight. Fernandes reached the record-breaking 21st league assist against Brighton on the final day of the 2025/26 campaign, having previously been level with Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne on 20. Around half of his league assists came from corners, which shows how varied the supply line was, but the Mainoo partnership still stands out as the clearest route to more of the same.

United ended on 68 points and third in the Premier League, although there is disagreement in some reporting over whether that finish secured Champions League football again. Even with that debate left aside, the assist split is hard to ignore. If United want Fernandes to stay at this level next season, getting Mainoo into the side looks like the most obvious way to help.

The bigger point is not that Fernandes needs one specific teammate to function. It is that his best assist spell came in a spell where Mainoo was a regular starter, and United have the data to treat that as more than a hunch. If the pair spend more time together next season, Fernandes has a stronger base to chase another high assist total.

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