Bernardo Silva Votes for Bruno Fernandes as PFA Player of the Year, Overlooking Haaland and Semenyo

In a move that cuts across one of English football’s fiercest rivalries, Manchester City‘s Bernardo Silva has publicly disclosed that he cast his PFA Player of the Year vote for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, bypassing City teammates Erling Haaland and Antoine Semenyo in the process.

Speaking candidly about his decision, the Portuguese midfielder left little room for ambiguity. “My friend Bruno [Fernandes]. He has had an incredible season,” Silva stated, as attributed to journalist Oliver Kay. The comment, amplified by the UTD Report Twitter account on May 15, 2026, drew widespread attention given the historical tension between the two Manchester clubs.

Fernandes’ case for individual recognition this season is well-supported by the numbers. The United playmaker leads all of Europe with 19 league assists in the 2025/26 campaign and is on the brink of breaking the all-time Premier League assists record. His output has already earned him the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award, where he edged out Arsenal’s Declan Rice for the honour.

The two players share a connection that predates their club careers. Both serve as senior figures in the Portugal national squad, with Silva providing tactical discipline and ball retention while Fernandes drives creativity in the final third. That international partnership appears to have informed Silva’s assessment, with club allegiances taking a back seat to his appraisal of Fernandes’ individual contributions over the course of the season.

Silva’s admission carries additional weight given the circumstances surrounding his own future. The midfielder has confirmed he will leave Manchester City this summer after approximately a decade at the Etihad Stadium. During that period, he was central to the club’s era of Premier League dominance, winning multiple league titles and the 2022/23 Champions League. His own direct goal contributions have been limited to just two this season, though his value to Pep Guardiola’s side has extended well beyond those figures.

With the PFA award outcome still pending, Fernandes enters the reckoning as a strong favourite following the FWA recognition and the public backing of a rival player. Should he win, it would mark a significant personal milestone for the United captain, whose influence has been one of the more consistent storylines of a season in which United’s overall form has been inconsistent.

Both Silva and Fernandes are expected to link up with the Portugal national squad ahead of the World Cup this summer, where their club-level rivalry will once again be set aside in pursuit of international honours. For Silva, the public endorsement of Fernandes represents one of his final acts as a Manchester City player — a gesture that underscores the distinction he draws between club competition and individual merit.