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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\u2019 Association (FWA) gong.<\/p>\n
As announced on Friday, Fernandes<\/strong> has been voted the FWA Footballer of the Year.<\/p>\n The Portugal international attacking midfielder has been (arguably?) Man Utd\u2019s<\/strong> best player this season.<\/p>\n Fernandes has scored eight goals and provided 20 assists in 34 matches in all competitions for Man Utd in the 2025\/26 campaign.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n While Man Utd fans are over the moon to see Fernandes become the first Red Devils\u2019 player to win the FWA award since Wayne Rooney in 2010, those backing Arsenal<\/strong> star Declan Rice<\/strong> are far from impressed.<\/p>\n READ: EXCLUSIVE: Manchester United still obviously aren\u2019t signing Cole Palmer<\/strong><\/p>\n Arsenal journalist Charles Watts<\/em> believes that Rice should have been voted the FWA Player of the Year for his performances for Mikel Arteta\u2019s side in the Premier League and the Champions League.<\/p>\n Watts has written on X<\/em> at 6:36pm on May 8: \u201cBruno Fernandes is a wonderful player and has had an excellent season \u2013 in the Premier League.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the Footballer of the Year award was a PL award, there could be few arguments about him winning.<\/p>\n \u201cBut 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSame could be said for Gabriel and David Raya.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Premier League player power rankings: Bruno Fernandes top as Stach, Guimaraes return<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cDoesn\u2019t feel like the right winner to me, despite Fernandes\u2019 fine form, especially since the turn of the year.\u201d<\/p>\n Esteemed journalist Henry Winter<\/em>too, believes that Rice should have won the award, not Fernandes.<\/p>\n Winter wrote on X<\/em> at 6:38pm on May 8: \u201cCongratulations to Bruno Fernandes voted Football Writers\u2019 Association Footballer of the Year.<\/p>\n \u201cSuperb for Manchester United in a tough season.<\/p>\n \u201cI voted Declan Rice for driving Arsenal to within touching distance now of the Premier League & Champions League.<\/p>\n \u201cThe game\u2019s about glory.<\/p>\n When asked by a Man Utd fan how he could vote Rice over Fernandes, Winter responded: \u201cbecause it\u2019s about glory. it\u2019s about hunting down trophies.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd Rice \u2013 given the timing of the vote \u2013 has sights on two. I voted Schmeichel the year Ginola won it, 99, because of what he\u2019d achieved. ie the Treble.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Simpson, who won the Premier League title with Leicester City in 2016, made the prediction while responding to Man Utd\u2019s congratulatory post about Fernandes on Instagram<\/em>.<\/p>\n The 39-year-old wrote: \u201cPfa player of the year next\u201d<\/p>\n READ NEXT: Merson picks between Man Utd and Liverpool next season \u2013 \u2018All day long!\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/div>\nBruno Fernandes vs Declan Rice debate rages on X<\/strong><\/h2>\n