Bruno Fernandes will beat Declan Rice to ‘PFA Player of the Year next’ after FWA gong | OneFootball

Danny Simpson has backed Manchester United attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes to win the PFA Player of the Year award after he beat Arsenal star Declan Rice to the Football Writers’ Association (FWA) gong.

As announced on Friday, Fernandes has been voted the FWA Footballer of the Year.

The Portugal international attacking midfielder has been (arguably?) Man Utd’s best player this season.

Fernandes has scored eight goals and provided 20 assists in 34 matches in all competitions for Man Utd in the 2025/26 campaign.

Then Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim deployed Fernandes in a deeper role in midfield, but under interim boss Michael Carrick, the 31-year-old star has been playing in his natural number 10 role.

While Man Utd fans are over the moon to see Fernandes become the first Red Devils’ player to win the FWA award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, those backing Arsenal star Declan Rice are far from impressed.

Bruno Fernandes vs Declan Rice debate rages on X

Arsenal journalist Charles Watts believes that Rice should have been voted the FWA Player of the Year for his performances for Mikel Arteta’s side in the Premier League and the Champions League.

Watts has written on X at 6:36pm on May 8: “Bruno Fernandes is a wonderful player and has had an excellent season – in the Premier League.

“If the Footballer of the Year award was a PL award, there could be few arguments about him winning.

“But Declan Rice has won more games (35) than Bruno has played (34), is on course to play around half a season more than Fernandes in terms of matches and has won player of the match awards throughout the run to the Champions League final and has been key to Arsenal being in a position to win the PL with three games to go.

“Same could be said for Gabriel and David Raya.

“Doesn’t feel like the right winner to me, despite Fernandes’ fine form, especially since the turn of the year.”

Esteemed journalist Henry Winter, too, believes that Rice should have won the award, not Fernandes.

Winter wrote on X at 6:38pm on May 8: “Congratulations to Bruno Fernandes voted Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.

“Superb for Manchester United in a tough season.

“I voted Declan Rice for driving Arsenal to within touching distance now of the Premier League & Champions League.

“The game’s about glory.

When asked by a Man Utd fan how he could vote Rice over Fernandes, Winter responded: “because it’s about glory. it’s about hunting down trophies.

“And Rice – given the timing of the vote – has sights on two. I voted Schmeichel the year Ginola won it, 99, because of what he’d achieved. ie the Treble.”

Former Man Utd right-back Danny Simpson has given his take on the controversy, backing Fernandes to win the PFA Player of the Year too.

Simpson, who won the Premier League title with Leicester City in 2016, made the prediction while responding to Man Utd’s congratulatory post about Fernandes on Instagram.