Bruno Fernandes has been awarded the 2025–26 Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year after a season in which his creativity and consistency were prominent features of Manchester United’s revival. His performances have been singled out by the football writers who vote on the prize.

The FWA honour is decided by members of the Football Writers’ Association and is presented annually to “the professional player who by precept and example is considered by a ballot of members to be the footballer of the year.” The prize sits among the season’s principal individual awards and carries considerable esteem among journalists.

Winners of the FWA award often go on to collect the other major individual prizes in the same season. Players who have completed that sequence in recent years include Erling Haaland (2022–23), Phil Foden (2023–24) and Mohamed Salah (2024–25).

Fernandes is the first Manchester United player to win the FWA vote since Wayne Rooney in 2009–10. It is the 10th occasion that someone from Old Trafford has taken the award, stretching back to the 1940s. Cristiano Ronaldo remains the only two-time winner, a distinction that leaves nine different Manchester United players having now claimed the prize.

That United lineage includes Johnny Carey (1948–49), Bobby Charlton (1965–66), George Best (1967–68), Eric Cantona (1995–96), Roy Keane (1999–00), Teddy Sheringham (2000–01), Cristiano Ronaldo (2006–07 and 2007–08) and Wayne Rooney (2009–10), with Bruno Fernandes added for 2025–26. Liverpool continue to hold the overall record for the most FWA awards, with 16 winners from across the decades.

The recognition cements Fernandes’s status among the leading figures in English football for the 2025–26 campaign and places him alongside the recent roll-call of the country’s standout performers.

The second half of the 2025-26 season has already produced a steady stream of kit reveals and leaks for 2026-27. Across the division, manufacturers and clubs are leaning on retro references, subtle details and new commercial partners.

Arsenal’s reported home shirt appears traditional at first glance but carries small refinements. The design reportedly includes a burgundy collar with a zig-zag pattern and multiple shades of red. There is also discussion that golden Premier League badges could be applied to the home attire for the campaign.

Aston Villa’s leaked home kit takes a clear step back in time. The design is said to draw on the club’s 1969 attire and will feature a sky blue collar on a polo-style shirt. The choice is notable given Villa’s position around the bottom end of the Second Division in that era and their relegation to the third tier in 1970.

Bournemouth have agreed a new multi-year partnership with Hummel, described as a club-record kit deal. The Cherries have moved away from Umbro and the new supplier will coincide with a fresh front-of-shirt partner for the 2026-27 season.

Brentford will replace Hollywood Bets with Indeed as principal sponsor. Teasers show the club retaining its classic red and white stripes while a subtle wave motif has been worked into the fabric.

Chelsea’s expected home shirt uses sharp yellow accents known as Midwest Gold to cut through royal blue. The club’s lion badge may be layered across the centre and could gain prominence if a permanent front-of-shirt sponsor is not secured. IFS, signed in February, is due to expire at the end of the season, a commercial gap that has had financial consequences for the club.

Leeds United are set to wear horizontal stripes at home for the first time in the club’s history. Designers appear to have taken some inspiration from the 2005-06 Admiral shirt, which featured vertical blue and yellow pinstripes.

Liverpool’s leaks point to a darker take on the Candy-sponsored shirt of 1989-91. That vintage coincided with the club�s last long spell of domestic dominance, capped by the 1989-90 title, a 10th crown in 15 seasons before a 30-year wait for the next.

Manchester City’s home shirt looks largely traditional with a fade from sky blue to white at the hem, which could encourage some fans to pair it with white shorts. Manchester United mock-ups featuring Bruno Fernandes attracted attention after the Red Devils’ feel-good derby victory that marked Michael Carrick’s debut of his second spell. The leaked United shirt shows a clean collar and white accents.

Newcastle’s proposed design keeps stripes as the defining element but experiments with varying bar widths and narrowing black stripes that bleed out from each large section, a pattern some observers liken to a Doppler effect visual.

Matheus Cunha has suggested that many within the Manchester United squad would welcome Casemiro staying beyond this campaign, despite the Brazilian’s public indications that he is ready to move on.

Cunha made the point after Sunday’s win over Liverpool, underlining Casemiro’s influence both on the pitch and in the dressing room. “I play with him in the national team and I know how important he is. He’s an amazing guy and to have this guy in the dressing room is a privilege,” the forward told reporters.

The midfielder has produced arguably his best form since arriving in England from Real Madrid and his experience is a clear asset. As a five-time European champion with Real Madrid, Casemiro’s knowledge would be valuable when Manchester United return to the Champions League in 2026–27.

Cunha added that uncertainty over contract details leaves room for hope. “We don’t know in the end how it is with his contract. [But] then, of course, we—everyone—hope there’s a little bit more. I know it’s harder than we talked about, but, in the end, you never know.”

At 34, Casemiro is described in the draft as not old by today’s standards and clearly a popular dressing-room figure. The piece highlights that his continued presence could act as a morale boost and that United might manage his minutes, with the option of reducing Premier League appearances to focus on European fixtures.

The article also notes the squad’s underlying need for reinforcements. Even before Casemiro’s departure was announced, Manchester United required midfield strengthening. Now the team reportedly needs three or possibly four new midfielders ahead of next season. If Casemiro were to remain, the immediate task of replacing him directly could be deferred until 2027.

Those are the positions and considerations facing the club as the season progresses and questions over Casemiro’s future remain open.