Alvaro Carreras has completed his transfer from Benfica to Real Madrid, with Manchester United set to pocket a significant fee from the defender's move to the Bernabeu
05:21, 15 Jul 2025
Alvaro Carreras
Alvaro Carreras has left Benfica for Real Madrid(Image: Jose Breton/Getty Images)
Manchester United are poised to pocket a tidy sum of around £7million following the transfer of their former player Alvaro Carreras to Real Madrid.
Despite never making it to the first team during his four-year stint at United, Carreras has turned out to be a profitable asset.
Carreras was signed by United as a 16 year old from Real in 2020, but left due to limited opportunities in the first team. After loan spells at Preston and Granada, he shone at Benfica on loan, who forked out roughly £5m to secure him permanently last summer.
United cleverly included buy-back and sell-on clauses in the deal with Benfica, and while they chose not to bring back the 22 year old left-back, they have cashed in on the latter clause.
READ MORE: Ex-Man Utd star suing the club over 'clinical negligence' linked to 'medical advice'
Alvaro Carreras
Alvaro Carreras has helped boost Manchester United's transfer fund(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Article continues below
This is because Real have now officially announced the signing of Carreras on a six-year contract for a fee of approximately €50m (£43m). United are entitled to 20 per cent of that – about £7.2m.
Real splashed out this amount after Carreras delivered four goals and five assists in 52 matches for Benfica last season. Having previously been part of Real's academy, he will now compete with Ferland Mendy for a starting spot in Xabi Alonso's side, playing opposite Trent Alexander-Arnold in defence, reports the Mirror.
The funds will be a welcome boost for United, who are set to splash over £60m on Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, having also shelled out £62.5m for Matheus Cunha. United have also raked in £6m from Anthony Elanga's £55m move from Nottingham Forest to Newcastle thanks to a similar clause.
United had the option to re-sign Carreras for £16m last year but chose not to, given the presence of Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw in the squad. They later bolstered their left-back options by signing Patrick Dorgu in January.
Former United manager Erik ten Hag explained the decision at the time, saying: "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.
Article continues below
"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."
For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.