The former Gunners man has not held back with a scathing assessment of the Portuguese attacker.

Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit has not held back in his criticism of Bruno Fernandes as the captain of Manchester United and named the shock player he feels has the potential to wear the armband instead.

Fernandes has been a United player since January 2020 after moving from Sporting Lisbon for an initial £47 million transfer fee.

In that time, Fernandes has scored 79 goals in 237 games for United, winning the FA Cup and EFL Cup in that time, both of which came under current boss Erik ten Hag.

Arguably the best signing United have made in the transfer market since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, Fernandes was made United captain last summer by Ten Hag after Harry Maguire was stripped of the armband due to falling out of automatic first-team favour.

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The 30-year-old recently signed a new deal which will keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2027.

Former Gunners midfielder Petit – who won the Premier League and FA Cup with Arsenal, as well as both the World Cup and European Championships with France – has spoken on Fernandes.

While he admits Fernandes is clearly a ‘very good’ player, the Frenchman lambasted how the Portuguese acts at times in games when decisions go against him, such as raising his arms in frustration, as he labelled him a ‘diva’.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Petit said: “First of all, I think he’s a good player, but I think he’s a diva.

 

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“I think he’s acting sometimes as a diva. He’s not the captain, he’s wearing the armband and to be honest with you, if I am a team-mate in the dressing room, I am thinking ‘the way he’s behaving sometimes on the pitch with his arms all the times, complaining’ you don’t want that from your captain.

“You’re not expecting that from your leader.”

He added: “Fernandes is a very good player. I was very impressed in the Covid-19 season without fans in the ground, he was amazing game after game. But he signed a new contract and I watched him as well with Portugal and sometimes I get annoyed when I watch him on TV.

“I just want to get into the TV and to play in front of him as an opponent, just to shake him on the pitch.”

Petit was then asked for his view on who he feels ought to be United skipper instead of Fernandes – and he feels Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to do so one day, but is too young to wear the armband right now.

He said: “The best players since the start of the season have been the youngest ones. I think Mainoo has the potential and the personality to wear the armband, but I think he’s too young actually.”