Young talents regularly slip through the cracks at the Premier League’s elite clubs and that was certainly the case for Álvaro Carreras.
The left back teamed up with Manchester United’s academy in 2020, arriving from Real Madrid. He impressed with the club’s youth teams and was sent on three separate loan spells to build up experience; temporary stints at Preston North End, Granada and Benfica helped him hone his craft.
But despite his progress away from Old Trafford, United opted to cash in on the youngster in 2024. The Spaniard made the permanent switch to Benfica for just £5 million ($6.3 million), proceeding to thrive in Lisbon and serve the Red Devils a sizeable slice of humble pie.
Carreras made such an impression in Portugal that Madrid decided to recapture their lost talent, parting ways with €50 million (£43.6 million) to secure his services. United made a profit from the deal—approximately £8.6 million—but the defender’s rise begs the question as to why the Red Devils allowed him to depart in the first place.
