Manchester United are set to receive more than £13million following the recent transfers of Anthony Elanga and Alvaro Carreras, but fans may wonder if they should have kept both
12:31, 15 Jul 2025
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim continues to be frustrated in the transfer market(Image: Getty)
Manchester United could be left ruing past decisions after two of their former players were sold for a combined sum of almost £100million. The Red Devils are urgently seeking to overhaul their squad following their desperate 2024/25 season.
In recent years, United have been plagued by numerous misjudgements in the transfer market, with a series of costly signings failing to justify their hefty price tags. The club is attempting to offload some of these underperformers to finance new additions and maintain leeway regarding PSR restrictions.
So far, only Matheus Cunha has joined from Wolves this summer, while protracted negotiations with Brentford over another forward, Bryan Mbeumo, persist after at least two bids were turned down. To rub salt into the wound, United have witnessed two players they let go for relatively low fees thrive and secure lucrative transfers elsewhere.
Anthony Elanga, 23, who United sold to Nottingham Forest for £15million two years ago, has just joined Newcastle United in a £55m deal. Elanga made 55 appearances for United but was deemed surplus to requirements by then-head coach Erik ten Hag.
United did retain an interest in the Swedish winger in the form of a sell-on fee related to profit, which reportedly means they will pocket £6million. While that is a handy sum, United might have been the club reaping the rewards of his potential instead of a direct competitor.
Meanwhile, another former United player, Alvaro Carreras, is on the move, swapping Benfica for Real Madrid in a deal worth £43m. The 22-year-old left-back was once part of Real's youth squad before making his way to United in 2020.
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Alvaro Carreras
United decided against bringing Alvaro Carreras back to Old Trafford(Image: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
However, under Ten Hag's management, he was permitted to depart for Benfica, initially on loan, before securing a permanent transfer for a mere £5m. According to Fabrizio Romano, United maintained an interest through two means: a sell-on fee tied to profit and a buy-back option.
United chose not to activate the buy-back clause, but they reportedly pocketed around £7.6m from Real's acquisition. Once again, United's bold decision not to retain or exercise their buy-back option appears dubious, given that Carreras now belongs to the 15-time European champions.
Bryan Mbeumo is currently Man Utd's main target
Bryan Mbeumo appears no closer to becoming a United player(Image: Getty Images)
With just a month until the Premier League season kicks off, Mbeumo remains with Brentford, as the two clubs appear no closer to reaching an agreement. It's believed that United have tabled an offer exceeding £60m – £55m plus £7.5m in add-ons.
However, the Bees are reportedly holding out for a fixed fee that exceeds the £62.5m United shelled out to Wolves for Cunha. This stalemate adds to Amorim's frustration, who is keen to wrap up as much business as quickly as possible to integrate new players into his squad ahead of his first full campaign as boss.
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