Real Madrid hatch surprise Man Utd transfer plan in left-back search | OneFootball

Real Madrid are negotiating with Manchester United over a mutually beneficial deal which would take Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer, a report has claimed.

22-year-old Carreras recently emerged as a transfer target for Madrid, who are looking to rejuvenate their defence after injuries to Ferland Mendy and David Alaba, but the cost of convincing Benfica to part ways with a player who is under contract until 2029 is expected to be significant.

Indeed, AS state Benfica are ready to demand as much as €60m (£51.1m) to sell Carreras, but that figure applies to every club apart from United, who agreed a buy-back clause of €18m (£15.4m) when they sold Carreras to the Portuguese giants in 2024.

Armed with that knowledge, it is claimed Madrid are in negotiations with United over a deal which would see the Red Devils re-sign Carreras and immediately sell him on to Madrid for profit at a fee significantly lower than Benfica's asking price.

Carreras was known as Alvaro Fernandez during his Man Utd days / Catherine Ivill/GettyImages

Madrid are hoping to sign Carreras for around €35m (£25.6m), giving United the chance to make an immediate £10m profit if they choose to do business together.

United's stance on such an agreement is unclear but their desire to raise funds this summer is no secret. The Red Devils are battling Premier League Profit & Sustainability Rules while making significant off-field cuts in an attempt to save money.

The transfer budget handed to head coach Ruben Amorim is likely to depend on sales, and so the chance to make an immediate profit could easily appeal to United.

There were suggestions United could re-sign Carreras this summer and keep him at Old Trafford, but the January capture of Patrick Dorgu would appear to have brought an end to such a possibility.