Speak to Michael Carrick about the demands of playing for Manchester United and he will tell you that nothing can really prepare you for the weight of expectation that comes with wearing that red shirt.

It has proved too much for even some of the biggest names in the sport. Juan Sebastian Veron, while never quite as bad for United as some like to make out, is one example of a player who came with a lofty reputation but failed to live up to the promise. More recently, Alexis Sanchez endured one much publicised misstep after another and, although injuries did not help, the firm feeling within Old Trafford by the end was that the Chile striker, despite past association with Barcelona and Arsenal, was simply unable to cope with the pressure on his shoulders. “And that’s Alexis Sanchez,” one senior source said. “It just shows how f------ massive a club it is.”

Bruno Fernandes does not arrive at United with a CV to rival Veron or Sanchez, not even close. But, at a time when a squad already desperately short of quality has been decimated by injuries to players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can ill afford to be without and supporter unrest takes a more sinister, violent turn, no one should underestimate the pressure now resting on the Portugal midfielder’s shoulders.

The more hysterical elements of the fanbase would do well to remember that Fernandes is not a panacea, a cure for United’s many ills. Even if he proves a success, and the importance of him hitting the ground running is likely to be amplified by the scrutiny that surrounds his arrival - announced on Wednesday - from Sporting Lisbon, Solskjaer will still need another half-dozen, high-calibre additions to turn this muddled team into a one with genuine title aspirations. And that is assuming the manager can make them all gel.

One thing Fernandes does not lack, though, is self-confidence, and he will need every ounce of it if he is not to become the latest victim of the talent graveyard Mino Raiola, Paul Pogba’s agent, feels has taken hold at Old Trafford, one factor behind his client Erling Haaland snubbing United in favour of Borussia Dortmund earlier this month.