OPINION: Bruno's £68m capture is a sign Man Utd are moving in right direction

Rarely has Manchester United been lavished in praise this season, but they deserve credit for their handling of the Bruno Fernandes transfer saga.

With matters on the pitch deteriorating and the mood off it escalating, you'd have forgiven United for wilting and submitting to Sporting Lisbon's nose-bleeding demands if signing Fernandes meant a chance to appease fans and divert some attention away from their shortcomings.

The thuggish attack on Ed Woodward's £2million Cheshire mansion this week summed up the air of malaise surrounding the club right now. The act may have been committed by a small minority of foolish and hotheaded United supporters whose tether had evidently worn thin, but while it cannot be condoned, the feelings of anger and frustration it represented would have undoubtedly struck a chord with the majority.

These are dark times for United as it is. Imagine the fallout if they had have missed out on their No 1 target.

At present, Champions League football next season looks doubtful while the first piece of silverware bit the dust midweek as United crashed out of the Carabao Cup semi-finals despite a spirited and valiant effort to overturn a two-goal deficit at rivals City - and fans are continuing to be antagonistic towards the owners with plans to walk out in the 68th minute of their game with Wolves this weekend in protest against the Glazer family.

Fernandes' £68m arrival from Sporting Lisbon offers an uplifting glimmer of light in these trying times while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is of the impression it could transform their whole season.

The United boss had been in autopsy mode when he first identified Fernandes as a target at the end of last season, precipitating the club's six-month long courtship of the Portuguese star - though reports have claimed they've been keeping a close eye on him since 2015.

A cultured, goalscoring, attack-minded midfielder with technical ability on the ball was exactly what United needed last summer - especially if Paul Pogba was going to be heading through the exit doors - but the deal never happened.

And so it must have been tempting just to pay the market price when January rolled around and they were still desperately short of creativity.

Sporting made their demands clear but instead of just singing to their tune, United refused to blink on Fernandes' valuation. In the end they slightly raised their original offer to get the deal over the line. £46.6m up front and the rest in add-ons, £8.5m of which is performance-based.

On the face of it, it looks good business. United have come under scrutiny for having an apparent dysfunctional transfer policy over the past few years with millions being wasted on signings such as Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku, but here is a deal which only concluded after a very thorough process and careful negotiation. That is very un-United these days.

Signing the right players for the right money is intrinsic to a club being successful, and it has been one of United's biggest downfalls in recent years in their attempt to rebuild in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. But by bringing Fernandes to the club, United may have just taken their biggest step forward yet.

This was not United just signing a reputable player for the sake of it, as they have done previously. This was them highlighting a problem area on the pitch and then recruiting a solution. This was them scouting a player for months to make sure he was the right one. This was done properly.

Andreas Pereira, Fred, Jesse Lingard, Scott McTominay, Juan Mata and Pogba have just eight assists and four goals between them all season. The United midfielders, excluding Pogba, have also just managed five accurate through balls together.

Over the past few seasons, Fernandes has established himself as one of the most prolific midfielders in Europe, notching 32 goals and 18 assists in 53 appearances for Sporting last season. He has continued in a similar vein this term with 15 goals and 13 assists in 25 matches.

Even taking into account the difference between Portugal's top flight and the Premier League, those figures are in stark contrast to United's midfielders who have relied heavily on Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood to carry the goal scoring burden this season.

Their lack of creativity in the middle of the park has resulted in them falling significantly behind their rivals in the scoring charts. United have 36 goals in the Premier League this season, five fewer than Chelsea, 20 fewer than Liverpool, 29 fewer than City and even 16 fewer than Leicester.

Out of last season's top six, United are only outperforming Arsenal and Tottenham - both of whom are experiencing underwhelming campaigns - in terms of creating chances at the top end of the pitch.

The problem was obvious, so United acted by getting in Fernandes, who will naturally boost those numbers.

It makes United's managing of Fernandes' transfer all the more impressive. Here was a player they clearly needed, who only last week looked destined for somewhere else with United and Sporting at loggerheads over the fee.

But United did not push the panic button, despite facing the prospect of missing out on a player they had been tracking for years, despite needing him to solve their creative problem in midfield, despite rumours he could join Barcelona and despite their unenviable situation on and off the pitch. They kept their composure, made a sensible offer in today's market and secured a reasonable deal for an exceptionally talented player.

United tried to take this approach in the summer, with their valuations of players significantly different to the selling clubs, which led to questions over their financial clout before they paid a world-record £80m to prise Harry Maguire away from Leicester.

It was imperative United signed a centre back in the summer, but did they pay the price for failing to have other targets lined up? Perhaps. City wanted Maguire too, but balked at Leicester's asking price. How they could have done with having another defender in their squad though. It's thin lines and grey areas.

But you can't say United got the raw end of the deal with Fernandes. Only time will tell if he will be a successful signing, but it would appear safe to deduce from the groundwork that went into his capture that he will be.

Gary Neville has repeatedly said this season that United still need at least five big signings before they can even think about being in the title conversation. Well, one down, four to go.

This is not to say that he is capable of transforming United overnight, but signing him is certainly a step in the right direction.