The Italian making of Man Utd new boy Bruno Fernandes

You'd be forgiven for mistaking the Old Trafford entrance for a revolving door, with a number of high-profile signings coming and going having failed to shoulder the mantle of Manchester United's saviour.

It's a burden that has weighed too heavily on a host of players that have signed for United since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson. And, given the growing feeling of apathy among the fanbase as well as underwhelming performances on the pitch, Bruno Fernandes' £68million move to Old Trafford has left the 25-year-old with the most expectation cast on a United signing in recent memory.

But Fernandes is a man that relishes the chance to test himself when the odds are stacked against him. That point is no better proven than by his time in Italy when, at the age of just 17 years old, Fernandes packed his bags, left his family and girlfriend, and moved to Novara, a lowly Italian outfit in Serie B.

It was a curious move for a young player developing nicely at local club Boavista, who won Fernandes' signature over Porto when he was a child.

Novara chief Cristiano Giaretta had received a tip-off from Fernandes' brother-in-law, who is also his agent, and took himself to Portugal to watch the 17-year-old live in the flesh. His movement and bravery, despite his diminutive frame, was enough to convince Novara's sporting director to take a punt on the youngster, who labelled him a 'mini Rui Costa', likening him to the brilliant Portuguese playmaker who starred for AC Milan and Fiorentina.

It was hardly surprising that Fernandes wasted no time in making himself a first team regular at Novara following his arrival, but off the pitch the youngster was struggling.

His parents would visit occasionally and his girlfriend Ana, who is now his wife, travelled to Italy every month to keep him company. Money was limited for Fernandes, with Novara not paying him his basic wage of €1,500 until halfway into the season. The former Sporting captain told Record that he made €50 last eight months in Italy.

'When I got there I had a basic salary, which was the minimum in Italy, of €1,500, but I started receiving it from February,' he said. 'I was from June to February with €50 that my mother gave me in June for me to go.

'She said to me: "If you need anything, spend it!" Those €50 lasted until January, because I didn't leave the gym. I lived with what I had. I was happy. I had a ball, I had fields… it was enough for me.

'Arriving in Novara, not knowing anyone, not talking the language, having no one who could translate what had to be done, was very difficult.'

Fernandes set about embracing his new surroundings immediately, and knew that learning Italian was crucial to his acclimatisation in Italy. Giaretta recalls visiting Fernandes' flat and discovering something more akin to a detective's office, with Post-It notes stuck to every item.

'They were everywhere,' Giaretta told The Athletic. 'Tavolo' on the table, 'sedia' on the chair, 'frigo' on the fridge. It was really smart. After one month, he could already speak Italian. His attitude was superb. Even at 17, he had such a strong character.'

With the Portuguese settled off the pitch, the performances for Novara earned Fernandes plenty of admirers. After just one season in Serie B, the big boys of Italian football came calling, with Juventus and Inter Milan interested in the man the local press dubbed 'The Maradona of Novara'.

Instead, Fernandes opted to move to the east of Italy as he signed for Udinese for £2.25m. While his three seasons at the Stadio Friuli don't make for particularly eye-catching reading statistically - he scored 11 goals and provided 13 assists in 96 games -  Fernandes grew an understanding of what it takes to be a top-level footballer. That lesson was provided in no small part by Udinese legend Antonio di Natale.

'He took Bruno Fernandes on as like a sort of pet project,' European football expert Andy Brassell told the Kelly & Wrighty Show. 'He was like "Right, this is how you strike the ball, this is how your body shape has to be, this is when you let go of the ball and this is when you don’t let go of the ball".

'He just painstakingly went through everything for him and to have a player of that standard, of that technique, not only give you the advice that helps you kick on but the confidence by showing you "Right, I think you’re special and I’m going to work on you", I think that’s very, very important.'

Di Natale was not afraid to give the youngster a dressing down if needed either. The Italian expressed his frustrations with his team-mate in October 2015, bemoaning the fact that Fernandes had the tendency to drift through games.

'Bruno Fernandes irritates me because he's young and he's the one with the most quality among us all,' he told Gazetta dello Sport. 'He has incredible feet, but sometimes he gets comfortable during the games.'

Despite the admirers he had gained at Novara, Fernandes' next move wasn't the step up that was expected of him. Sampdoria paid around £6.5million to secure the services of the midfielder in 2017, and Fernandes made the bold move to take the No 10 shirt. The last player to wear that number was club legend Roberto Mancini - indicative of the Portuguese's willingness to carry the burden of expectation.

Fernandes' time at Samp wasn't all that fruitful, netting five goals in 35 appearances, and the next summer he would make the move to Sporting that has seen the £68m man become one of Europe's most dangerous midfielders, and the subject of a prolonged transfer saga in which he finally made the move to Old Trafford.

Without his experience in Italy, in which he made €50 stretch eight months, learnt Italian in one month and was mentored by Di Natale, Bruno Fernandes may have been yet another wasted talent. Instead, he is now earmarked as the man to turn it around for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.

Don't gamble against Fernandes doing just that.