Why Manchester United plan to re-sign Álvaro Carreras before selling him to Real Madrid | OneFootball

Almost seven months into his Manchester United tenure, Ruben Amorim has yet to make a significant impact if judged solely by United’s Premier League campaign.

Six wins, six draws, and 14 losses, culminating in that disappointing 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, have made for an underwhelming spell under the Portuguese tactician.

United do have a Europa League final to play this Wednesday against Tottenham Hotspur at San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain.

However, even victory would not erase the lingering concern that this squad is simply not good enough.

Impactful signings must be made, but the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules could restrict United’s spending.

The 20-time champions may need to cash in on some of their players to provide Amorim with the personnel required for his system to flourish.

One defence of the Portuguese manager is that this is not truly his United team.

Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Alejandro Garnacho are among those reportedly available for sale to generate funds for the rebuild.

Álvaro Carreras transfer masterstroke

United’s transfer budget could receive an unexpected boost through an Alvaro Carreras transfer masterstroke.

According to Diarios, Real appear to have convinced United to activate the €18 million (£15M) buy-back clause included in Carreras’ original €6 million (£5M) transfer to Benfica.

The Spanish giants are then willing to pay United between €30 million (£25.2M) and €35 million (£29.4M) to take the full-back to the Bernabéu.

A direct switch from Benfica to Madrid would have been far more straightforward, but Madrid are unwilling to trigger the youngster’s €60 million (£50.4M) release clause.

So, are United re-signing Carreras simply to sell him to Los Blancos?

Diarios report that negotiations between all three clubs have been intense, with 90% of the deal already finalised.

The remaining details should be wrapped up following the Copa del Rey final on 25 May, after which Madrid are expected to announce the signing.

At Madrid, Carreras is expected to deputise for Ferland Mendy, with the hope that he will gradually break into the starting eleven as the 2025-26 season progresses.

Selling Carreras to Madrid for around €30 million represents easy money for United—funds that could be reinvested in a quality right wing-back, a key piece in Amorim’s tactical vision.

Featured image Gualter Fatia via Getty Images

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