Potential Preston return looks out of question as Man Utd report emerges: View | OneFootball

A return to Preston North End for Manchester United defender Alvaro Fernandez seems to be out of the question, as Portuguese giants Benfica have entered the race to sign the player.

Fernandez joined United in 2020 on a four-year contract from Real Madrid, fighting off interest from clubs like Manchester City and Barcelona for his signature.

The left-back spent the majority of his time at the club in the under 23s. Fernandez failed to make a Premier League appearance for the Manchester club, although he was named on the bench for a handful of matches for the Red Devils.

In July 2022, he joined Preston North End on a season-long loan, excelling as a key part of the side that finished 12th in the Championship that year.

Fernandez was a fantastic edition at Preston, picking up their Young Player of the Year Award in his sole season at Deepdale, with the player even claiming the club "made it perfect" for him.

Alvaro Fernandez is unlikely to return to Preston due to Benfica interest

While the feelings were mutual between club and player, the chances of the Spaniard returning to Preston North End are close to zero, after Benfica have shown interest in the young defender this season.

According to a report from O Jogo, SL Benfica are eyeing up a move for Alvaro Fernandez in the January transfer window, with a loan move with a view to a permanent transfer the preferred deal for the club.

Fernandez looked likely to get some minutes at Manchester United this season thanks to injuries suffered by Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. However, United boss Eric Ten Hag brought in Sergio Reguilón on loan to cover the position, giving Fernandez little path to the first team.

Instead, he has been sent out on loan to Granada, where he played less than 400 minutes in the league for the side that currently sits in the bottom three of La Liga.

Given the stature of Benfica as a club, it is likely that the Spaniard would see them as a prime destination if he is to leave Old Trafford for good this season.

However, as United refused to include an option-to-buy clause in his loan deal with Grenada, they may be reluctant to let Fernadez leave on a permanent deal in January.

While club's like Preston and Benfica may try to get the left back for a bargain price due to his contract situation, Manchester Evening News have reported that Fernandez contract expires in the summer, but with an optional extra year for United.

This means that the club can trigger a contract extension to keep Fernandez at the club for even longer, scuppering any potential plans to sign the defender on a free transfer.

This further decreases the chances for Preston to sign the defender, given the transfer fee that the club would likely be forced to pay by the Red Devils.

Before he left for Granada, Erik Ten Hag told Fernandez to "go out on loan" and "continue to gain experience" to "see what happens in the future", which would imply that the club want to see if the Spaniard will be ready for the first team at Manchester United next season.