Monday’s edition of [A Bola](http://abola.pt) has a really interesting article for those Manchester United supporters who are following the progress of Álvaro Fernández Carreras at Benfica.
The 21-year-old initially moved to the Lisbon club on loan with a purchase clause. Despite his early struggles to have a decent impact in Portugal, Benfica used the clause because at the price – around €6m – it represented really good value.
Even if the left-back didn’t live up to his potential, then €6m would surely have been worth it and Benfica would have managed to get their money back from another club if so desired.
The reason the clause was so cheap was that Manchester United secured themselves a buyback option. That clause is €20m, with his buyout clause for other clubs being €50m.
Initial concerns at Benfica had been that whilst the Spaniard is clearly an exciting prospect when it comes to attacking, he perhaps wasn’t quite as secure as most would want at the back.
A Bola now throw a whole load of praise towards Carreras for the progress he’s made this season.
They explain he’s become more focused on keeping the defence balanced, rather than bombing forward at any half chance to do so.
The Portuguese newspaper state: _‘The new Carreras, the boy who never stops growing Spanish left-back has become fundamental in both attacking and defending and is the greatest work of individual transformation by Benfica’s manager.’_
That manager is Bruno Lage, who has done a good job so far in Lisbon and appears to see the fullback as a special project.
Carreras’ performance at the weekend in the 1-0 victory over Vitoria Guimarães is praised, with him having the most successful dribbles (four) and winning 10 of his 16 duels. He also had four ball recoveries and three clearances, and A Bola say he’s ‘attacking more correctly, with less risk’.
The Portuguese newspaper goes on to explain there were so many doubts about Carreras in the summer, despite the purchase, that Benfica signed Jan-Niklas Beste for the left-back role.
He picked up a muscle injury, and the signing from Manchester United took his opportunity to displace him as the starter.
There’s a lot of the season left, and Álvaro Fernández Carreras will need to keep up this consistency if the Old Trafford club are to buy him back next summer.
However, if he does so, that €20m looks like business to be done.