Alvaro Carreras couldn't start for Manchester United's senior team upon his return from Granada before being sold to Benfica in 2024. However, in a testament to hard work paying off, his incredible spell with the Portuguese side has reportedly opened the doors of the Real Madrid dressing room instead!
Ahead of Xabi Alonso taking over the Spanish giants from Carlo Ancelotti, 22-year-old Alvaro Carreras is set to be signed from Benfica. Real Madrid has already come to a verbal agreement with the left-back, reports claim, but the official channels will have to wait until Sunday's Taça de Portugal Cup final in which the Eagles take on familiar rivals Sporting.
🚨⚪️ Alvaro Carreras wants to join Real Madrid and his plan has not changed.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) May 20, 2025
No bid or club to club talks yet but understand Real will approach Benfica after Taça de Portugal final to reach an agreement.
Carreras has already agreed terms with Real, as @SrNaninho reported. pic.twitter.com/RcOdFraSkO
Meanwhile, the Alvaro Carreras transfer saga has become yet another testament of "understanding" between two of Europe's biggest football teams -- Real and Manchester United. Javier 'Chicharito' Hernández, Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Beckham, Casemiro, Angel Di María, and Cristiano Ronaldo are among the stars who have made direct transfers between these two storied clubs over the years. Spaniard Carreras' Benfica exit is said to further establish the mutual respect and bond between the two sides.
When the defender was sold to Benfica, there was a £15m buy-back option attached to his contract. The Portuguese side on their part, then placed a €50m release clause, making the youngster a costly purchase for any bidder. The matching rights and sell-on clause are such that United will get a slice of the amount for which Carreras is bought from Benfica. Thus, when Real Madrid buys Carreras, a part of the funds goes to United as well and it is no silly amount. According to a report, United would receive not less than 40% of the left-back's transfer fee, meaning they could earn between £16.8 million and £20 million if a team were to trigger his Benfica release clause this summer.
United-Real 'bhai bhai'
However, that is not exactly how things are going to pan out, if recent reports are to be believed. Manchester United had attached a €18 million buy-back clause while selling the Spaniard and Ruben Amorim's team has decided to trigger this to help Real Madrid.Once Carreras returns to Old Trafford, United plan to sell him to Real Madrid for around €35 million. This allows Los Blancos to avoid triggering Benfica’s costly release clause, while United secure a reasonable fee to support Ruben Amorim’s transfer plans — a win-win for both sides.
Manchester United could (and still can) lay low and see the transfer deal complete with Real Madrid shelling out a huge sum on their former player. With their share of the deal is safe either way, it is commendable that they decided to offer support to the La Liga team -- many fans pointed out.
