Jesse Lingard believes Manchester United Bruno Fernandes should be in the running for the Ballon d’Or.
Fernandes has produced another impressive campaign at Old Trafford and is closing in on the Premier League’s assist record.
The 31-year-old has scored eight goals and added 18 assists, with three required over the final five games to set a new seasonal landmark. The current 20-assist record is held by Thierry Henry (2002/03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019/20).
Fernandes’s 18 assists are also the joint-most recorded across Europe’s top leagues this season, alongside Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise.
Lingard played alongside Fernandes at Manchester United and revealed the two remain in close contact.
“He always wanted to see the best of me at United,” Lingard told the BBC.
“He’s always been a guy that’s been there, that I can always reach out to.”
The duo’s former club teammate, Paul Pogba, recently said Fernandes would be a Ballon d’Or contender if he played for a club competing for the big prizes. Lingard, however, believes Fernandes should be in the conversation regardless.
“100%. His performances at Manchester United this season have been extraordinary. He has to be up there.”
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