Man Utd considering triggering clause to re-sign thriving star and end Real Madrid, Barcelona hopes

According to a source, Manchester United is now considering whether or not to trigger the buy-back provision that is included in the contract of Benfica defender Alvaro Fernandez Carreras. Real Madrid and Barcelona are both reportedly standing by in case the Red Devils decide not to go with the buy-back clause.

In the January transfer window of 2024, Manchester United sent Fernandez on loan to Benfica. A purchase option with a value of six million euros was included in the agreement, and the Portuguese contingent exercised it at the beginning of the summer.

During the current season, Fernandez has been a standout for Benfica, surpassing Jan-Niklas Beste to become the club’s regular starting at left defender. As a result of his outstanding performance, the Portuguese publication O Jogo asserts that Manchester United are already contemplating the possibility of invoking their buy-back clause.

They are claimed to be “closely monitoring the young defender’s performances, with live observations and data collection to prepare the final report that will be made available to their coaches and directors.” The Red Devils, along with the Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona, are also supposed to be doing this.

The availability of a buy-back provision in Fernandez’s contract, which Manchester United has the ability to activate for a predetermined sum, was verified by O Jogo. The specific sum that this provision is set at has not been disclosed; nonetheless, it is believed that United is considering whether or not to activate it anyway.

The persistent difficulties that Manchester United is experiencing at the left-back position are reportedly the reason for their interest in re-signing the Spaniard. Sadly, injuries have forced Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia to miss a significant amount of time. Due to this, Erik ten Hag has been compelled to move Diogo Dalot to a position that is not on the left side of the field.

According to the source, the interest shown by Real Madrid and Barcelona stems from the fact that Fernandez is a young player who is on the rise. Given that he is of Spanish descent, it is not hard to see why the heavyweights of La Liga are interested in him.

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Not re-signing might be beneficial for Manchester United. After spending the years 2017–20 with Real Madrid, Alvaro Fernandez was eventually acquired by Manchester United. Fernandez was a member of Real Madrid’s roster.

It would appear that both Real Madrid and Manchester United are regretting their decision to let Fernandez depart, given that the latter are currently contemplating re-signing the left-back.

In the event that Manchester United decides against re-signing Fernandez, they will still be in a position to collect a windfall by virtue of the fact that he relocates back to Spain.

During the summer, when he finished his transfer to Benfica, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claimed that Manchester United had included a sell-on provision in the agreement.

“Benfica confirms Alvaro Fernandez joining the club on a permanent deal from Manchester United,” Romano wrote during the latter part of the month of May. Six million euros to Manchester United, in addition to a buy-back clause, matching rights, and a sell-on clause.

If Manchester United were to pass on Fernandez, Real Madrid and Barcelona would be the most likely candidates to acquire his services; nevertheless, they are not the only teams interested in acquiring him.

O Jogo mentioned that Atletico Madrid has been impressed with the left-back’s performances to this point in the season, notably his performance in Benfica’s Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid by a score of 4-0 last week.

It is also reported that the Italian powerhouse Juventus is taking a careful look at the rising talent.

Exclusive move to Manchester United / Ten Hag is still alive?
Additionally, TEAMtalk has the exclusive knowledge that Manchester United are looking to acquire another full-back in the month of January.

They are keeping an eye on Amar Dedic, who plays right back for Red Bull Salzburg and opposite Fernandez. Dedic plays on the opposite side of the field.

When it comes to other matters, The Times has made it quite clear that manager Erik ten Hag is not in danger and will not be terminated, at least not in the relatively close future.

Last but not least, Graeme Souness, a great of Liverpool, has identified three Manchester United players that absolutely must be successful in order for Ten Hag to remain with the club for an extended period of time.

Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, and Noussair Mazraoui are the three players in question, and they were all signed during the summer of 2018 respectively.

In chronological order, Alvaro Fernandez’s meteoric climb
In September of 2020, Fernandez made his debut for the Under-18 team, scoring a goal against Burnley. He had previously played for Real Madrid before joining Manchester United instead.
In April of 2022, he was included in a matchday squad for the first team for United’s match against Chelsea at Old Trafford; however, he did not play in the game and was not used as a replacement.
The left-back was awarded the Denzil Haroun Player of the Year title in May 2022 for his outstanding performance with the Under-23 team. He followed in the footsteps of Nicky Butt, John O’Shea, and Darren Fletcher, who had previously attained this distinction.
After completing a loan transfer to Preston North End, a team in the Championship, for the duration of the season, he made his debut with the senior team in a match against Wigan Athletic that ended in a scoreless draw.
A victory against Huddersfield by a score of 4-1 in the Carabao Cup in August 2022 was the first time that Fernandez contributed to a goal in senior football. He also had two assists throughout the match.
It was in May of 2023 that he was awarded the Preston North End Young Player of the Year title. During the 2022/23 season, he participated in 42 matches across all competitions.
The defender made his debut in La Liga in September 2023, when Granada defeated Girona by a score of 4-2 under the terms of a loan agreement that lasted for the entire season.
In January of 2024, Fernandez was recalled by United and sent out on loan to Benfica. This came after he had only made five starts for Granada.
In April of 2024, the Spain Under-21 international scored his first goal of his professional career, which contributed to Benfica’s victory over Farense by a score of 3-1 that they secured.
In the month of May 2024, Benfica exercised their right to make the transfer permanent and paid United an initial sum of six million euros.
The 21-year-old made his debut in the Champions League against Red Star Belgrade in September 2024. He played the whole 90 minutes of the match, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for his team.