Carragher, though, believes the time may have come to move the 30-year-old midfielder on, with the Liverpool legend writing in his column for The Telegraph: “Fernandes has been one of United’s best players during a tough period and would have shone with more quality around him during his Old Trafford career. But he is 30 now and there may be value in offloading him to raise funds. Amorim may see it differently and believe a few more years of Fernandes alongside shrewd additions will serve the team better. Selling must be a consideration, however, because Fernandes is one of the few players who can attract a significant fee if profitability and sustainability rules are an issue.
“I’ve always felt Fernandes is a great talent rather than a great player. He creates a lot of chances but can be very indisciplined with and without the ball. That makes it a lot harder for United to defend as a compact unit as he chases the ball all over the pitch. It looks like great commitment to the supporters but the manager will be tearing his hair out.
“Amorim will be planning ahead while trying to get a tune from those he inherited for the rest of this season. Knowing that [Manchester] City are bound to be in the market for players of the same pedigree is a complication he could do without.”