Cost £47m, now worth £89m: Man United hit the jackpot on Ten Hag’s 5 ft 11 “genius” - opinion

Manchester United‘s latest triumph at home to Leicester City saw Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho steal the limelight as a result of their devastating displays in attack, with the England duo having been vital figures in the Red Devils’ stirring second-half display at Old Trafford.

For all the quality of that fleet-footed pairing, though, arguably the “best player on the pitch” on the day was midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes – in the words of manager Erik ten Hag – with the Portuguese magician having yet again been the team’s creative hub.

Despite being deployed out on the right flank for the visit of the Foxes – as he has done on occasion this season – the 28-year-old playmaker was still central to everything which was good about the home side, notably teeing up Rashford with a stunning outside-of-the-boot assist in the first half.

The former Sporting Lisbon man also found the aforementioned Sancho with a perfectly weighted pull-back on the hour mark to make sure of the points, while he should well have had a third assist to his name late in the first half, only for compatriot Diogo Dalot to inexplicably fail to convert.

That stellar impact saw Fernandes rack up a truly outrageous haul of nine key passes in total – albeit while losing possession 30 times – having also completed four of his five dribbles as a marker of his dynamic brilliance.

What was most impressive about the 5 foot 11 man’s display, though, was his willingness to put in a shift for his team despite featuring in something of a makeshift role, winning eight of his 11 ground duels.

Such an all-action outing – in which the £240k-per-week star racked up a 9.7 match rating from Sofascore – has no doubt become the norm for Fernandes during his time in Manchester, with United having truly hit the jackpot after signing the 53-cap menace for an initial fee of just £47m back in January 2020.

How much is Fernandes worth now?

The midfielder’s continued rise is showcased by the fact that he is now said to be worth around €100m (£89m) according to CIES Football Observatory, with that a notable increase on what the club signed him for just over three years ago.

Although United will have no intention of letting the consistent “genius” – as once described by journalist Muhammad Butt – depart the Theatre of Dreams any time soon, it will be pleasing to see what has been one of the few transfer success stories in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

In truth, Fernandes’ impact at the club upon his arrival in England was almost immediate as he scooped the Man of the Match award on his debut in a goalless draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers, before going on to finish the pandemic-impacted 2019/20 campaign with 20 goal involvements in just 22 games in all competitions.

That impact has continued since then, with the Maia-born sensation now boasting 106 goals and assists in 162 games for the club across all fronts, including 41 goals and 31 assists in just 110 Premier League appearances.

Currently ranking third in the division for chances created (17), the former Udinese man has enjoyed another standout season with regard to his impact in the final third, with 17 goal contributions in 36 games so far.

That relentless brilliance has been aided by the player’s ability to be available for selection almost every week, having rarely been absent through injury or illness throughout his career, both before and during his time in Manchester.

To have a player who can be counted upon to perform no matter the occasion or the opposition is truly worth its weight in gold, with Ten Hag no doubt thankful to have inherited such a gloriously joyful talent as Fernandes.

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