Bruno Fernandes ahead of Cole Palmer and Liverpool's 'big signing'?

Granit Xhaka, midfielder of newly promoted Sunderland, thinks that Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) possesses greater skill than both Cole Palmer and Florian Wirtz in the Premier League.

In a recent statement, Granit Xhaka surprisingly named Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as the best midfielder in the Premier League right now, standing out even more than Cole Palmer (Chelsea) and Florian Wirtz (Liverpool).

Although Manchester United’s performance has been underwhelming, currently sitting 10th in the 2025/26 Premier League table with three wins in seven matches, captain Bruno Fernandes still commands great respect from fellow players, including Xhaka – former Arsenal captain, who had a strong spell at Leverkusen and now plays for Sunderland. Few know that Sunderland’s impressive rise since returning to the Premier League owes much to Xhaka’s contribution.

When asked to rank the three creative midfielders Bruno Fernandes, Cole Palmer, and Florian Wirtz, Xhaka did not hesitate to place the Portuguese midfielder at number one: "This is a very tough choice, at least for me. In my opinion, Bruno Fernandes is the most experienced among them.

He has proven himself over many years, not only in the Premier League but also with the Portuguese national team. Looking at the statistics from recent seasons, it's truly incredible. I have great respect for Bruno Fernandes, so I would put him in the top position."

Bruno Fernandes joined Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 and quickly became a leader in Manchester United’s play under Erik Ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, influencing both on the pitch and in the dressing room. Despite a major offer from Saudi Arabia, Manchester United has no intention of selling Fernandes, and the player himself has no plans to leave.

On the other hand, Chelsea’s playmaker Cole Palmer is currently recovering from injury, while Florian Wirtz, although very promising, has had a poor start to the season. Wirtz is even considered the worst big signing in Premier League history so far, having not yet recorded any assists or goals.

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