Alvaro Fernandez Carreras might be set for a sensational return to Manchester United with new boss Ruben Amorim at the helm.
Benfica legend Alvaro Magalhaes has tipped the talented Spaniard who joined the Portuguese giants in May for a potential Premier League comeback. The 21-year-old left-back originally signed for United from Real Madrid in 2020, choosing them over Manchester City.
After nearly 50 appearances for United’s Under-21s and less-than-stellar loan stints at Preston and Granada, Fernandez made the switch to Benfica, where he’s been a revelation, featuring prominently in both domestic and Champions League games. With Amorim, currently managing Sporting CP, set to take over at United, Magalhaes reckons the incoming gaffer could activate the hefty £17m buy-back clause United retained.
“I’m afraid Ruben Amorim will take him [Fernandez] to Manchester United,” confessed Alvaro, a Benfica stalwart with over 200 appearances, adding, “It seems to me that he has the quality to be one of their first options, and looking at their squad, I believe with the new coaching staff, he could become an option again because the new coach knows him very well from what he saw at Benfica.”
“When he debuted in the league, I saw a brilliant left-back in him. The way he positioned himself, how he touched the ball. For many, doubts are only now starting to dissipate. I feel today that many people have long been undermining a high-performance athlete with potential for high achievement,” reports the Mirror.
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“At Benfica, only the best should play, and he is undoubtedly the best. He was wronged within Benfica, but fortunately, he never gave up.”
Alvaro believes that Fernandez would bring a much-needed tenacity back to Old Trafford if Amorim offered him a return, something that has been lacking in United’s squad.
“That ability to react to adversity seems to be his strength,” Alvaro continued. “Great players only succeed if they are mentally very strong, and that seems to be the case. If someone is weak, they can’t play for Benfica, just as they can’t play for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or PSG.
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“If he were weak, he would have already been released from Benfica. He is one of those footballers we should fight to keep at the club because of their quality. I hope he has a lot of luck and continues to have a great season.”
Amorim’s side has until the summer of 2026 to exercise the £17m option standing at £42m for other teams that would see them buy back Fernandez. However, former boss Erik ten Hag didn’t seem wholly convinced when asked about his progress last month before being sacked.
The sacked boss revealed the club still has control over the future of loaned-out star Fernandez. He said: “We loaned him to Preston, he returned and then we loaned him again to Granada. He didn’t play much there and we had the opportunity to sell him. But we have a clause that allows us to control the situation.
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“We will have to see and assess the situation to understand if he can be an option for us. But playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not easy.”
In a stroke of luck for Fernandez, Liga Portugal expert Amorim is set to take charge at Old Trafford. The Spanish player is being tipped as a potential solution to the left-back problem, providing cover for Diogo Dalot, who’s been filling in out of position, and the frequently injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.