Bruno Fernandes one assist from Premier League record

Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League assist record in Manchester United's 3-0 win at Brighton, and Michael Carrick used his first permanent post-match comments to play down exit talk around the captain. Carrick said he had “no reason to think otherwise” on Fernandes' future, even with 12 months left on the contract and United holding an option to extend it by a further 12 months.

Why Carrick is not pushing the exit talk

Carrick was clear about how he sees Fernandes. “He's such an influence for us and he's been the captain and led by example in different ways. I've got no reason to think otherwise. We've loved what he's done and he loves being here, I think you can see that,” he told mirror.co.uk.

He added: “He wanted to stay on the pitch, he wants to stay on every single game because he's enjoying his football, which is fantastic.” That is the sharpest answer in the brief to the speculation around his summer. The contract situation is still there, but Carrick's view is that the player is enjoying himself and remains central to what United are doing.

The performance at Brighton supported that. Fernandes posted an 8.3 rating, scored once and created four key passes in the win. He was the match's standout attacking force, and the record came with more than just the assist that grabbed the headline.

United's summer plans still run through midfield

The wider transfer picture is still about midfield first. Ederson is closing in on a £38million move from Atalanta and is entering the last year of his contract, while Elliot Anderson is also linked as Carrick shapes the next phase of the squad.

There is also a bigger rebuild idea around the attack, with Morgan Rogers framed as a possible Fernandes successor and valued at around £90m. Bryan Mbeumo and Amad are set to jostle for the opposite-wing starting spot, while Benjamin Sesko is 22 years old. That is the succession planning angle, but it does not change the immediate reality: Fernandes is still the player around whom the team is built.

United finished third on 68 points, which is why Carrick's tone is about progress rather than rescue. “I'm delighted I'm here for longer and we need to keep progressing. There's work to do. You've got to keep improving, we want to be a little bit better but it's so, so encouraging doing it from this place,” he said.

That is a sensible line to take. The club can look at midfield upgrades and forward succession at the same time, but Carrick's comments make clear that Fernandes is not being pushed out of the picture. If anything, the record at Brighton has strengthened his case to stay at the centre of it.