Manchester United are currently making the bold step of re-signing a player without a full-time manager in place at the club.
Ralf Rangnick is interim manager of United at present, widely expected to leave that position at the end of the season to move into an advisory role in the United hierarchy. MEN Sport understands that Ajax manager Erik ten Hag was interviewed for the soon-to-be vacant position earlier this week but nothing is currently set in stone.
Why therefore are the club looking to secure Fernandes on a longer deal? There are no guarantees that Ten Hag, or whoever else, will want the Portuguese midfielder to stay at Old Trafford when they are appointed, right?
Despite this seeming an unusual decision on the surface Fernandes' ambition is exactly the reason United want the midfielder to stay. Speaking to the club's website back in January, the 27-year-old laid out his hopes for his career at the Theatre of Dreams.
He explained: "My ambition is still the same. I want to win trophies with the club. That will always be in my mind until the last day I am at the club.
"I don't know when that will be but, until then, I will believe that I can win trophies with this club because I think we can and I think the club deserves it, the fans deserve it and also the players, we deserve to win a trophy.
"Whenever that is, we have to do it step by step and understand we have those qualities but we have to understand how to do it, how to put everything together – the qualities and the intensity and everything." If understanding the club's philosophy is important for a new manager, the same should go for the players and Fernandes has proven he knows what is needed.
Unlike some of his teammates who regularly make sweeping statements that they would like to bring the good times back to Old Trafford, Fernandes has actually contributed on the pitch when it matters to make this happen. He's endured a small dip this seaso, but his stats speak for themselves.
Since joining the club, his 49 goals and 39 assists in 117 appearances have made him a dependable player in the United squad. Even if his goal tally is bloated by penalties, Fernandes has shown time and time again that he can perform when it matters.