Bruno Fernandes is owned by a third of all FPL managers, but the case for selling him this week is getting stronger. He is the game's second most expensive asset at £11.9m, and he has five blanks from six. Across those six Premier League appearances, Fernandes has managed 3 goals, 1 assist and 549 minutes, which is not the kind of return managers want from a premium midfielder.
Gianni Buttice's case for moving on
Gianni Buttice of BBC Sport called Fernandes “an easy sell this week”. He pointed to the ownership level, the price and the recent returns in the same argument, with Fernandes still in a third of teams despite the slump.
The comparison that really hurts him is Bryan Mbeumo. Mbeumo has 33 Premier League points and is equal 10th among midfielders for points, which is the sort of output that makes a switch away from Fernandes look more practical than patient.
Chelsea's attackers as the alternative
Buttice's other recommendation was Chelsea, where he said an attack-minded manager in Xabi Alonso, no European involvement and a full week on the training ground make the team look capable of scoring two or three goals every game. That outlook also lifts Cole Palmer, while Erling Haaland and Brighton sit in the wider mix of attacking options that managers are weighing up.
Chelsea's case is part of a broader FPL logic shift, where form is starting to matter more than reputation. Pascal Groß and Maxim De Cuyper are among the names managers are also assessing, but Fernandes remains the most expensive problem on the page.
United's next league game will matter because the sale decision will not get easier if the output stays flat. For now, the hard numbers point to Fernandes being the premium asset to move, not hold.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
