Bruno Fernandes started the season brilliantly with a hat-trick in Manchester United's second game of the season against Ipswich, in a much-needed win on the back of the loss to Hull City.

However, despite a goal against significantly lower-ranked Sabah in the Champions League, his overall season so far has left a lot to be desired.

Fernandes has shone for Portugal during this long-winded international break, proving that his form has not taken as much of a drop-off as many believe.

This level of inconsistency in Fernandes' performances has contributed to the club's indecision and stalling over a potential new contract for the current PFA Player of the Year.

Overall, United seem to be very much in favour of keeping the 32-year-old, however, there is one major factor that is causing them to delay the talks.

According to TeamTalk, Bruno Fernandes' age is a major concern for the Red Devils, which is why they remain uncertain about the contract they may offer him.

'The central obstacle is described as the question of “how long United are prepared to commit to Fernandes”, which is a significant consideration for any club making a major financial promise to a player in his thirties.'

With United's captain turning 33 as soon as this week, Man United are erring on the side of caution when assessing the situation.

'One particularly interesting detail in the report is that “a longer-term agreement” is being explored with “an appearance-based clause”, allowing the contract length to increase automatically depending on his involvement.

This would be a smart move from Man United, as although Bruno Fernandes is something of an anomaly in football with his freak ability to avoid injury, his age could catch up with him at any point, leading to the club resenting him in the future.

TeamTalk have also stated that 'it is also notable that claims around Marcus Rashford’s salary influencing these talks have reportedly been dismissed as “nonsensical”. From the club side, this appears to be less about dressing room comparison and more about risk management.'

This question is going to have to be faced at some point in the future as Fernandes will not be around forever. United have relied on him being their saviour for almost a decade, but is it time to think about life after Bruno?

It will be almost impossible to replace a player like Bruno Fernandes, especially not in the immediate future, but the answer to this problem may be a system change in the midfield, and Carlos Baleba could be the key to that.

Man United's biggest issue this season has, without a doubt, been their leaky defence, having conceded 11 goals in just 7 games. Their attack has not been the greatest either, but there are stats, such as United having one of the best xGs in the league, that suggest that the goals may be coming very soon.

Therefore, an immediate solution to this would be to give the defence more protection in the form of Carlos Baleba. However, while most people will see Baleba as a replacement for Youri Tielemans, he could replace Fernandes.

There have been reports in the past suggesting that Michael Carrick admires the way Luis Enrique's PSG play, and with their midfield of two eights and a six, Tielemans, Baleba, and Kobbie Mainoo could be the future of United's midfield.

There is no doubt that to challenge for the big titles, rotation is key, and having a plan B is key also; therefore, it should be essential that United give Fernandes a new contract; however, they should also explore the idea of a midfield without him as well.