Man Utd handed timely transfer boost as £43m deal finally confirmed

Manchester United will bank around £7million after one of their former players completed a big-money move from Benfica to Real Madrid in the summer transfer window

Manchester United are set to bank a handy fee of around £7million after their former player Alvaro Carreras completed his move to Real Madrid. Carreras spent four years on the books at United and never made a first-team appearance – yet he has proven useful now.

Carreras joined United as a 16-year-old from Real in 2020, but left after growing frustrated by the lack of first-team opportunities. After loans at Preston and Granada, he impressed on loan at Benfica, who paid around £5m to make his move permanent last summer.

United wisely decided to insert buy-back and sell-on clauses in that deal with Benfica, and while they opted not to re-sign the 22-year-old left-back, they have benefited from the other clause.

That’s because Real have now confirmed the signing of Carreras on a six-year contract for a fee of around €50m (£43m). United are due 20 per cent of that – around £7.2m.

Real have paid that amount after Carreras contributed four goals and five assists in 52 matches for Benfica last season. He spent time in Real’s academy in the past and will now play on the opposite side of defence to Trent Alexander-Arnold in Xabi Alonso’s side, competing with Ferland Mendy for a place in the starting XI.

The money will come in handy for United, who are about to shell out over £60m to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, having also paid £62.5m for Matheus Cunha. United have also banked £6m from Anthony Elanga’s £55m move from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle from a similar clause.

United could have decided to bring Carreras back for just £16m last year, but decided against it, with Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw on the books. They later signed Patrick Dorgu in January to add options on the left side of defence.

Speaking at the time, former United boss Erik ten Hag said: “I think the process is perfect. We loan him to Preston, he got back, then we loan him to Granada, he didn't play so much there, and of course we, all the time, observed him and now we had the opportunity to sell him.

"But we have a buy-back [clause] so we have control of the situation, I think that's what he needed.

“From Preston, then go to La Liga, go to Portugal [with Benfica], every time stepping up to a higher club and a better league. Now we have to see and assess the situation if he can be an option for us. But playing at Man United is not so easy, playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not so easy. You need experience, also development. You get development from playing for better clubs and in better leagues.”