Alvaro Fernandez continues to haunt Man Utd with Champions League display, performance makes clear point

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The decision to let Alvaro Fernandez go for just £5m in the summer looked a risk at the time and now Manchester United will be disappointed.

For a club who have had no senior left-back fit for the best part of 2024, letting a talent like Alvaro Fernandez leave for cheap was always one which could backfire, and now it is becoming evident this is what has happened.

Benfica signed Fernandez for just £5m, however recognising his ability they instantly slapped a £42m release clause onto the Spaniard – an early sign that Manchester United had made a mistake.

Throughout 2024/25 so far, United could have used Fernandez as it has been Diogo Dalot played in an unnatural position at left-back with Luke Shaw injured.

Despite the Portugal international being mostly solid, having a player like Fernandez there could have been game-changing and now he’s proven why once again.

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Alvaro Fernandez on fire for Benfica

United and Ineos will be kicking themselves over the deal which took Fernandez to Benfica as he is showing unbelievable consistency and form for the Portuguese giants which all but guarantees we will see him making a big move at some point.

Fernandez showcased his quality once again on Wednesday night as he was among Benfica’s best players against Atletico Madrid in a 4-0 thrashing by the Portuguese side.

The 21-year-old played the entire game for his side and in that time had 99 touches of the football and was very effective when he had the ball.

Alvaro Fernandez performance vs Atletico Madrid

This performance was absolutely flawless from the former United academy player and really begs the question of why he was not given a chance considering many were convinced he had top-quality potential.

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Manchester United will be ruing decision to let Fernandez go

In watching Fernandez in action, it is so clear that he has the ability to become a top-tier left-back which is something United do not have right now.

While there are hopes that Harry Amass can be the long-term solution to the position, he is just 17 and will need more time until he is ready to be starting competitive games for United.

Therefore surely using Fernandez even for a year or two would have been a smart decision and could have even led to a more expensive sale in the very worst scenario.

To put in a performance like he did, under the lights of the Champions League against a club like Madrid, it is really impressive and we are definitely jealous and wish we had him at United still.

A lesson to be learned by United here, selling top-class prospects before giving them a proper chance can be a mistake as he would be a sure starter right now for United.