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Manchester United's creative midfielder Bruno Fernandes has been sweeping up end-of-season awards, but some feel Arsenal's Declan Rice has been unfairly neglected in the process.

After helping Manchester United secure a third-place finish despite a difficult start to the campaign, Fernandes has earned several personal accolades. However, critics argue that his contribution has been overstated when compared to others in the league.

The Portuguese playmaker was recently voted the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year for the 2025/26 season, sparking debate about whether an Arsenal player should have been recognised instead.

Among Arsenal supporters, Declan Rice has emerged as a popular alternative, with many believing the England midfielder was more deserving of the award — a view shared by one of the club's former greats.

Ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson has stated that Rice should have clinched the title, crediting him for being a driving force behind Arsenal's Premier League title challenge and their impressive run to the Champions League final.

Merson likened the situation to the 1998/99 season, when David Ginola won the top individual honours while Manchester United achieved a historic treble, suggesting that the votes for United players were likely split between several candidates.

Speaking on behalf of Historic Newspapers — which houses the world’s largest private newspaper archive — Merson praised Rice’s consistency and impact, saying: “He carries the team, gets them up the pitch, and works tirelessly.”

He added, “He’s always a 7 or 8 [out of ten]. He’s never a 6, and he’s rarely a 10 — but he’s always 7 or 8, week after week.”

Continuing, Merson said, “I’m a big fan of Bruno Fernandes. I love watching him; he’s exactly my kind of player. But Declan Rice has won more matches this season than Fernandes has even played in, and half of Bruno’s assists come from set-pieces.”

(For context, statistical data from WhoScored shows that only eight of Fernandes’ 20 assists this season have come from set-pieces — less than half — and proportionally lower than Rice’s four from nine across all competitions.)

Merson further pointed out that Manchester United’s absence from European competition this season should be considered, noting: “I’m a big admirer of Fernandes, but when you’re playing just once a week, that’s a completely different situation.”

He elaborated, “When you’re competing every few days, under constant pressure to perform, and fighting for top positions every season, that kind of pressure is immense.”

Merson concluded by explaining why Fernandes likely edged out the Arsenal contingent in the voting: “The issue is that Arsenal had several standout performers — Saliba, Gabriel, Raya, and Rice — whereas Bruno has been the clear standout for Manchester United. I love watching him, I really do, but Arsenal’s strength has been spread across several players.”