Man Utd to use buy-back clause to beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to ‘best-in-league’ star

Robin Bairner

• 10 Oct 2024 12:43 BST
• 5 min read

Manchester United are looking to Benfica to solve one of Erik ten Hag’s biggest problems, and the Red Devils possess a buy-back clause for the particular player that they’re after.

Reports in Portugal indicate that Man Utd are monitoring the status of left-back Alvaro Carreras, who has also attracted attention from Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Carreras started his career in the Real Madrid youth system before moving to the Old Trafford club in 2020.

Current ETV

Álvaro Carreras

D, M (L)

Benfica

Álvaro Carreras

D, M (L)

Benfica

€7.8M

ETV Range

€5.9M - €9.8M

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Although he was introduced into Man Utd’s senior squad two years later, he did not make a single appearance for the club, instead having loan spells at Preston, Granada and Benfica.

He impressed sufficiently in Portugal to tempt the Lisbon giants into a €6 million deal, with the possibility of €3m more following in bonuses.

An attacking wing-back

Carreras has flourished since making the move permanent, with data analytics experts SciSports ranking him as the top left-back in Portugal currently. In particular, his finishing, passing and crossing have won acclaim from the firm, with his statistical profile showing that he ranks well above average in all metrics.

At the beginning of the season, the Spain U21 star was expected to be the club’s second-choice left-back, but he appears to have overtaken new signing Beste in the eyes of the management.

Carreras vs. left-backs in Portugal

O Jogo reports that Man Utd, Real Madrid and Barcelona are all following the player’s performances, with scouts regularly attending games. Atletico Madrid and Juventus are also interested in the youngster.

United hold a key advantage in the race for Carreras because they hold a buy-back option in the 21-year-old. It is unclear how much this is worth.

Carreras, meanwhile, has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €7.8m, with this figure having risen sharply since the start of the season, testimony to his strong performances and his growing status.