Latest news with #AlvaroCarreras
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Real Madrid looking at Alonso's trusted star as ‘Plan B' after price tag halts priority deal
Real Madrid looking at Alonso's trusted star as 'Plan B' after price tag halts priority deal Real Madrid's pursuit of a new left-back has taken a twist, with SPORT revealing that the club may be forced to turn to Plan B, who is Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo. Madrid's primary objective this summer has been to reinforce the left flank of their defence, with Alvaro Carreras identified as the top target. Advertisement However, talks with Benfica have proven difficult, with the Portuguese side unwilling to compromise on the player's €50 million release clause. Benfica's intent to retain Carreras for the upcoming Club World Cup has added further resistance, and Real Madrid are reportedly hesitant to meet the full asking price. A lot is said about Carreras While multiple reports have suggested that the Carreras deal is already wrapped up pending a medical, the reality appears far more complicated. Unlike the swift announcements for Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Madrid have remained silent on Carreras, largely due to the unresolved fee issue. Advertisement As a result, Los Blancos are now reconsidering alternatives, and Grimaldo is the standout candidate. Real Madrid are yet to close Alvaro Carreras' transfer. (Photo by) It is to be noted that the Spaniard has impressed with his performances under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, playing a remarkable 48 matches this season. Grimaldo, a La Masia product, has revitalised his career in the Bundesliga and remains one of Europe's most consistent full-backs. An interesting option to have What makes Grimaldo particularly attractive to Real Madrid is his price tag. With two years left on his current deal, he could be available for around €30 million, which is €20 million less than Carrera's. Advertisement This figure falls well within Madrid's budget and would allow the club to meet Alonso's tactical needs without entering a drawn-out bidding war. Grimaldo's experience, attacking threat, and positional discipline make him an ideal candidate to compete with or even displace Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia, neither of whom have fully convinced the coaching staff. Moreover, his potential availability for the Club World Cup makes the timing even more crucial. For now, the Carreras deal remains Madrid's priority, but with Benfica standing firm and Madrid unwilling to overpay, Grimaldo is moving rapidly up the shortlist.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Real Madrid move closer to sealing major reinforcement this week
According to Mundo Deportivo, Real Madrid are moving quickly to wrap up the signing of Alvaro Carreras from Benfica, with an agreement already in place between the club and the player. The 22-year-old Spanish left-back is seen as a top priority for the summer window, and the Madrid board hopes to finalise the transfer terms with Benfica this week. Advertisement After securing Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth and completing the high-profile signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold from Liverpool, Real Madrid are focused on reinforcing the left-back spot, an area that has troubled them for years. Frequent injuries to Ferland Mendy and inconsistent form from Fran Garcia have left the club searching for a more reliable long-term solution. Carreras, with his potential and impressive displays in Portugal, is viewed as the answer. Real Madrid pushing for lower fee Real Madrid and Carreras have agreed on personal terms for a deal that will tie the Galician defender to the club for the next five or six seasons. Real Madrid want to wrap up Alvaro Carreras' transfer this week. (Photo by) The only hurdle now is reaching a final agreement with Benfica. Carreras has a release clause of €50 million, but Madrid are working hard to either lower the final fee or negotiate a more flexible payment plan. Advertisement One challenge in closing the deal is Benfica's participation in the upcoming Club World Cup. Like Real Madrid, the Portuguese side is involved in the tournament and may want to hold on to Carreras until the competition ends. Still, with a special transfer window for participating teams open from June 1 to June 10, Madrid are hopeful they can seal the deal within days. If completed, the arrival of Carreras would be another key move in Real Madrid's push to build a younger, more dynamic squad ahead of the new season.
Daily Mirror
25-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd set for summer transfer boost as Real Madrid close in on £42m signing
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. 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."
Daily Mail
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Real Madrid 'in talks to sign £42m former Man United academy star' - who never played a single game for the club
Real Madrid are reportedly in talks to sign former Manchester United academy star Alvaro Carreras from Benfica. The Spanish left back had joined Manchester United from Los Blancos back in 2022 and played in the Red Devils' youth teams for two seasons. Carreras was named Man United 's under-23 Player of the Year in 2022, before having a loan spell at Preston. He also spent time on loan at Granada and Benfica during the 2023-24 season, with the Portuguese giants activating a clause in his contract to sign him for £5million last summer. Carreras departed Old Trafford without having made a competitive appearance for the club. Man United have a £15m buy-back clause for the 22-year-old but chose not to activate it in the January transfer window, instead signing Patrick Dorgu from Lecce. According to the Athletic, Real Madrid have now opened talks to sign the 22-year-old ahead of this summer's FIFA Club World Cup. Carreras has a £42million release clause in his Benfica contract, which runs until 2029, but Los Blancos reportedly hope to negotiate a lower fee. The report claims Carreras will communicate his desire to leave Benfica following the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting Lisbon on Sunday. Carreras has played 40 matches in all competitions for Benfica this season, scoring four goals and providing five assists. He was part of the Benfica side which won the Portuguese League Cup earlier this season. Real Madrid reportedly targeted Carreras as the club presses ahead with rebuilding their defence this summer. The Spanish giants have already to sign Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth in a £50million deal. The newly capped Spanish international's move was confirmed last week. Real Madrid are also expected to sign Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, after he confirmed he would leave the Premier League champions when his contract expires at the end of the season. The deals come ahead of the expected arrival of Xabi Alonso as manager, with the outgoing Bayer Leverkusen boss poised to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who will take charge of Brazil. Real Madrid's early transfer business this summer comes ahead of the expanded Club World Cup, which has reportedly been targeted as a priority by the club. Real Madrid will face Al Hilal, Pachuca and Red Bull Salzburg in the group stages of the 32-team tournament in the United States. Their opening match will be against Saudi side Al-Hilal on June 18.
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Real Madrid in talks with Benfica over Alvaro Carreras move
Real Madrid are in talks with Benfica over a move for left-back Alvaro Carreras. Carreras' has a release clause of €50million in his Benfica contract, but Madrid are hoping to reach an agreement over a lower fee. The 22-year-old is keen on a move to Madrid, but will communicate his decision following the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting CP on Sunday. Talks between the club and player are expected to speed up following Sunday's game, which marks the end of Benfica's season. Advertisement If a move for Carreras is successful, Madrid expect him to be available for this summer's Club World Cup, which begins on June 14. Madrid are in the market to add depth to the left-back position this summer, with Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez and Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo among the other names under consideration. Girona left-back Miguel Gutierrez also remains an option for Madrid, who hold a €8m buyback clause for the 23-year-old. Carreras was in Madrid's academy between 2017 and 2020, but never made an appearance for the senior side and subsequently joined Manchester United. He did not make a first-team appearance for United either, and had loan spells at Championship side Preston North End and Spanish team Granada before being loaned to Benfica in January 2024. The deal contained an option to make the deal permanent for €6m, which was exercised by Benfica in May that year. United do hold buyback clause as part of the deal that saw Carreras move to Benfica, and this stands at €18m with some small add-ons. The Athletic reported in the DealSheet in January United were weighing up whether to trigger the clause. United eventually signed Patrick Dorgu for €30m from Lecce in their January pursuit of a left-back, but were considering bringing Carreras back to Old Trafford if negotiations with Lecce stalled. Sources close to Carreras had indicated they were not considering a move in the January market. Carreras has made 65 appearances Benfica, scoring five goals and providing six assists. He lifted the first silverware of his career when Benfica won the Taça da Liga, the Portuguese league cup, earlier this year. ()
