Sold for just £5 million in the recent summer window, Alvaro Fernandez is already an established starter for FC Benfica, relishing the spotlight in senior football.
Manchester United added ‘contingencies’ to many of their sales in the summer but in the case of Alvaro Fernandez, they wouldn’t have thought it would become relevant so soon.
He was sold to Benfica for £5 million, with club president Rui Costa waxing lyrical about Fernandez as he confirmed the arrival of the Portuguese left-back.
They clearly saw something in him that United couldn’t, and less than two months on, Fernandez is impressing for Benfica and making those predictions come true.
Thankfully, then, Ineos were smart enough to insert a buy-back clause in his contract when they made the sale, one which accounts for a £25 million advantage now.
Manchester United’s Alvaro Fernandez buy-back clause
In a window that netted United more than £100 million in sales, Fernandez’ departure went fairly under the radar since he was never given a proper run in the first team.
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Two months on, as United continue playing without a natural left-back, Fernandez has become a Man Utd mistake too big to ignore.
Therefore, it is natural that there are whispers of United retaining an interest in his services but that’s not expected to be straightforward.
For starters, Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in Fernandez, while fierce rivals Liverpool recently registered their interest in Fernandez as well.
However, Record reports that United have a buy-back clause of just £16.7 million for the player, which is a huge £25 million decrease from Fernandez’s release clause for other clubs. It can be triggered till the summer of 2026.
Benfica are likely to push Fernandez to join one of the other interested teams since that would give them a higher fee but the final decision is the player’s.
The left-back situation at Man United could make Fernandez’s mind up for him.
Alvaro Fernandez is ideal fit for Man Utd
Unlike previous cases, like that of Paul Pogba, United’s buy-back clause means they are in a prime position to address a major flaw in the squad with minimal investment.
It can be argued that this isn’t a move the club should have made in the first place. Robbie Savage questioned the Fernandez sale when it happened and he has proven to be correct.
That is because the current Man United squad is screaming for a dynamic option at left-back who can contribute in attack and remain secure in defence.
They have Diogo Dalot playing an inverted role currently but that has not only hampered the left-winger’s ability to create overloads out wide, it also leaves the team exposed to attacks from the wings on transition.
In an ideal world, Dalot would help in the buildup by coming inside and minimise transition opportunities by packing the midfield.
However, United aren’t in a dominating position for most of the games so the inverted fullback just becomes a target for the opposition.
It is why they are yearning for a return of Luke Shaw. At 29 and with a barrage of injuries behind him, he’s unlikely to be the answer either and Tyrell Malacia’s injury return is impossible to guess as of now.
Alvaro Fernandez is the ideal fit for this team, tactically, financially, and with his age profile.
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