Pogba: Bruno Fernandes at another big club would be in the top 3 for the Ballon d'Or

Paul Pogba believes his former Manchester United teammate, Bruno Fernandes, would have at least one Ballon d'Or to his name if he played for their fierce rivals, Manchester City. Despite the Red Devils' struggles this season, the Portuguese playmaker is enjoying a strong campaign, chasing the record for most assists in a single Premier League season. Fernandes already boasts 18 assists with five games remaining, and the shared record of 20 held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne doesn't seem far off. This season, the 31-year-old Portuguese became the second-fastest player to reach 200 goals and assists in Manchester United's history.

“Do you think if Bruno was in another team, he wouldn't be in the top three, or even win the Ballon d'Or? If you put him at City, he's in the top three for the award. Bruno Fernandes, with his statistics, his season, and everything he does, but when you don't win, you don't think about yourself. That's how things are in football,” Paul Pogba explained on former United captain Rio Ferdinand's podcast, as quoted by Sky Sports.

“I know he doesn't have the same physique as me and can't jump and win the ball as well as I can, but he can do everything else. As I said, Bruno Fernandes at another big club would be in the top three for the Ballon d'Or, period. For me as a midfielder, we always talk about Kevin De Bruyne, we talk about (Luka) Modric, about (Mesut) Özil and similar players,” the Frenchman added.

“Speaking of statistics, he scores more goals than (Frank) Lampard, playing in the same position. He makes more assists. He's everywhere on the pitch, constantly running, he's smart, he can play with two touches, with one touch. He can shoot. People who love football will always respect Bruno Fernandes. Whether you like his style is a matter of opinion, but footballers will always know he's a top player,” Pogba concluded.