Manchester United are set for a defining summer in the transfer window as they look to collect as much money as possible from outgoings, but they could profit from another deal with ex-Red Devil Alvaro Carreras linked with Real Madrid
Manchester United could profit from Alvaro Carreras’ potential move to Real Madrid this summer in a huge boost to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s hopes of bolstering the club’s transfer budget. Carreras joined the Red Devils from Madrid in 2020 and while he impressed for the youth teams, he never made a senior appearance for the club.
The left-back was loaned out for three seasons before eventually joining Benfica last summer and becoming a standout player in the squad as they came second in the Portuguese top division and won the Portuguese Cup.
Carreras started 30 games in the Primeira Liga and 47 across all competitions, with four goals and three assists to cap off an impressive campaign.
His performances haven’t gone unnoticed either, with Real Madrid leading the interest in the player as they bid to give manager Xabi Alonso more options at left-back alongside Ferland Mendy.
No bid has yet been made by Madrid for Carreras but it’s likely Los Blancos would have to pay the player’s £42million release clause if they are serious about snapping him up.
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When United sold Carreras to Benfica for about £5m last year, they are believed to have negotiated a sell-on clause of around 40-50 per cent.
That means United could be handed up to £20m if Carreras does end up linking up with Alonso at the Bernabeu, which would massively ease United’s financial concerns.
The club let go of 250 staff last year and are in the process of letting go of another 200 amid Ratcliffe’s ruthless cost-cutting regime.
He has also hiked up matchday ticket prices, cut concessions, axed free lunches for staff at the training ground and cut Sir Alex Ferguson from his lucrative ambassadorial role.
United must sell before they can buy this summer an Carreras’ selling-on fee would give extra funds for Ruben Amorim to strengthen his underperforming squad this summer after missing out on Champions League football following their Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.
Amorim has insisted he will stay at Old Trafford but admitted the club’s problems are much deeper than he first thought after a painful season.
He said: “Everything is changing, all the departments are changing,” he said ahead of their Premier League final day clash against Aston Villa. “In six months, we are doing everything, so everything is more difficult.
“Things can change fast but to reach that kind of level we need as Manchester United is going to take time. I cannot say how many windows, how many years to reach that point, but we can improve. That is clear.”
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