Man Utd to get cash boost as forgotten man is offloaded to Benfica

Manchester United are set for a cash boost with the news that Benfica intend to take up an option to buy Alvaro Carreras at the end of his loan spell.

The 21-year-old secured a six-month loan deal to the Portuguese giants back in January with Benfica having an obligatory purchase option should he play 50 percent of their matches until the end of the season.

In what has been an indifferent loan spell, which has failed to convince onlookers in Portugal, the left back probably won’t meet that threshold but Benfica are nonetheless set to sign him for a fixed €6 million fee.

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Carreras signed for United as Alvaro Fernandez, back in 2020 as a free agent from Real Madrid, and was widely tipped for a future role in the first team.

The Deportivo La Coruna-trained left-sider has experienced loan spells at Preston and Granada but has not yet made a first-team breakthrough at Old Trafford.

He has sat on the bench five times for United, including earlier this season for a Premier League game against Nottingham Forest before moving to Granada.

Alvaro Carreras not in Man Utd plans

That day Erik ten Hag was without both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, but opted to play Diogo Dalot as left back over Carreras.

The club opted to recall him from that loan spell in order to facilitate a deal with Benfica.

A decision to send the young defender away was questioned by some supporters at the time with players like Victor Lindelof and transfer flop Sofyan Amrabat having to fill in.

Both Shaw and Malacia have had significant injury trouble this season while Sergio Reguilon was sent back to Tottenham and subsequently loaned to Brentford.

The deal served to emphasise that Carreras wasn’t in Ten Hag’s plans.

Carreras makes unconvincing start to life in Lisbon

Carreras has not yet started a league match for Roger Schmidt’s side and earlier this week it was reported in Portugal that Benfica would send him back to England at the end of the season.

However, it now appears that the Eagles will be buying him after all, according to Record, which would deliver a significant cash boost for Man Utd.

United are hoping good relations with Benfica might smooth negotiations in any deal for the highly-rated midfielder Joao Neves.

They were limited in the business they could do in the winter market and any sale of Carreras would represent pure profit as he was signed on a free from Real.