A £56m release clause buried in Fernandes' contract — activable only by clubs outside England — is the mechanism giving Galatasaray genuine hope, even though United's own valuation of their 31-year-old captain sits closer to £64m.
Talks between the Turkish champions, United and the player's camp are expected within days, with Fernandes already informed of Galatasaray's interest, according to HT Spor. Just one year remains on his current deal, with a club option to extend it by a further 12 months, and losing their captain would strip United of the player who registered 22 assists in all competitions last season under Michael Carrick.
Further down the Old Trafford pecking order, 21-year-old central midfielder Dan Gore is also facing a defining summer.
Journalist James Lewer reports that his representatives are weighing up both loan and permanent exits as his existing contract edges toward its expiry next year. Carrick has omitted him from the squad travelling for Friday's fixture in Stockholm, opting instead to send him out with the U21s, a call that speaks to where the club currently see his short-term future.
Gore progressed through Manchester United's academy set-up and previously spent time on loan at Port Vale before a productive spell at Rotherham United last season, where regular League One minutes helped raise his profile among clubs monitoring his development.
The Fernandes saga is not the first time this year that United's captain has been linked with an exit. He turned down a reported €115m approach from Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal last summer, and has previously also been linked with a move to Juventus. United, though, insisted at the time that any approach for their skipper would be firmly rejected, a stance now complicated by Galatasaray's apparent willingness to work within the terms of his release clause.
Between the two situations, United face contrasting decisions this summer: one over whether to lose their most influential attacking player to a lucrative move abroad, the other over how best to develop and potentially cash in on one of their academy graduates.