Despite Ineos only arriving at Manchester United in 2024, they have already made some big errors in the players they have sold.
The football operations at Manchester United being overtaken by Ineos has been of huge benefit thus far, with recruitment improving tenfold.
However, as good as the players brought in have been, United have made some big mistakes in some of the players allowed to leave over the past 18 months.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka became West Ham’s player of the year last season, showing huge improvements from the player let go by Ineos.
Another player Ineos let go, but now certainly regrets it, is Scott McTominay, who would be perfect for Ruben Amorim’s system.
McTominay was the Serie A’s MVP for Napoli during his first year at the Italian side, winning the Scudetto and becoming a bit of a hero in Naples.
However, now an even more frustrating sale is looking worse and worse on Ineos’ part.
Alvaro Fernandez is already impressing at Real Madrid
During the summer transfer window, Real Madrid signed Alvaro Fernandez for £43m, representing his rapid progression since being sold by Ineos to Benfica for just £5m.
Despite being weak in the left-back area under Erik ten Hag, United let Fernandez go for cheap, and ultimately, it was part of the downfall for the Dutchman.
It reflects badly on whoever made this decision, as Fernandez would be an immediate starter for the club right now, and he likely was back then as well.
Now, reviewing his hot start to life in Spain, outlet AS has written glowingly about the left-back.
Discussing his Champions League performance against Marseille, AS wrote: “And he came out firing, even stronger if possible. A player with an immediate impact. With an instant adaptation. The Carreras phenomenon is a reality.”
The article then mentions how Fernandez, or Carreras as they refer to him, has settled back into Real Madrid life.
“Carreras steps back into the halls with the confidence of someone who knows he’s where he wants to be. If his adaptation to the dressing room has been excellent, so has every tactical demand from Xabi.
“It’s precisely everything he’s learned along the way that is helping Carreras conquer the left flank of the Real Madrid stadium.
“Carreras is proving to be one of the best players in the five major leagues plus Champions League, according to the numbers.”
His performances for Madrid have clearly caught the eye, making the £43m fee look like a bargain, adding to United’s regret, no doubt.
How has Alvaro Fernandez performed for Real Madrid this season?
This season, so far, at Manchester United, Patrick Dorgu’s attacking output has become increasingly frustrating. As a result of this, it is now being reported that United are targeting Federico Dimarco.
However, Fernandez is having no issues at Madrid, with his La Liga stats demonstrating this.
| Stat | 25/26 | Percentile |
| Expected Assists | 0.55 | 87th |
| Passing accuracy | 89.3% | 83rd |
| Chances created | 7 | 94th |
| Successful dribbles | 4 | 83rd |
| Duels won | 19 | 65th |
| Aerial duels won | 5 | 70th |
| Interceptions | 6 | 80th |
From this data, we can clearly see that Fernandez is one of La Liga’s best attacking full-backs, with his creation impressive.
This quality is probably what Amorim wants Dorgu to be doing, making the £5m decision in 2024 look very frustrating.
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