Cristiano Ronaldo lacks key Bruno Fernandes trait as Manchester United aim depends on big call

On this day two years ago, Manchester United agreed a deal with Sporting Lisbon for the transfer of Bruno Fernandes.

Fast forward to today and it looks increasingly unlikely that United will add to their squad in the current transfer window.

Ralf Rangnick now looks set to be tasked with achieving a top-four finish with a weaker squad than the one he first took charge of at the beginning of December, with further loan departures potentially on the cards.

This means that the team will have to pull together, making do with the resources they have and, more importantly, they will need to have the right mentality to make sure they take every opportunity presented to them.

You'd expect Cristiano Ronaldo to be the man the team should look to when looking for a role model with a winning mentality, but perhaps the teammate they should be turning to is Fernandes.

Harry Maguire's role as captain has come into question of late with a lot of United fans questioning his control of the dressing room.

However, the captain's armband is just a piece of fabric. If United want to be successful this season they're going to need leaders all over the pitch.

Fernandes may not boast quite as many winner's medals as Ronaldo and he doesn't have a shelf stacked with Ballon d'Or awards, but he's been the face of this United side for the past two years and has become a major part of the team.

United fell at the final hurdle in the Europa League last season with Fernandes in the team, though they probably wouldn't have made it all the way to the final were it not for the industry and creativity of Portugal international.

There's also a growing sense that Fernandes is better positioned to be able to handle his teammates.

Many will likely view the