Less than four months after being sold for just £5 million, Alvaro Fernandez is lighting it up at FC Benfica and rumours of a Manchester United return already abound.
Alvaro Fernandez’ stunning Champions League form has thrust him into the spotlight this season and with Manchester United struggling at left-back, the irony couldn’t be clearer.
Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia seem perpetually injured at this point and the last time United played with a natural left-back in the XI feels like a lifetime ago.
Therefore, Man Utd’s Fernandez buy-back clause has been at the forefront of transfer rumours, especially with Fernandez drawing interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona, among others.
His rise was predicted by Rui Costa, the Benfica president who praised Fernandez when he joined, and a few months on, he looks like a mistake by United.
Erik ten Hag, however, disagrees and has given United’s stance on bringing the player back.
Erik ten Hag on Alvaro Fernandez to Man Utd
United have, of course, a £25 million advantage on their rivals if they wish to bring back the left-back to Old Trafford.
That is because Fernandez’s release clause at Benfica is nearly £42 million, far higher than the buy-back for United.
Still, it ultimately depends on the player himself and it has been previously reported that he wishes to move to Real Madrid instead, in which case the sell-on clause will come into play.
In the meantime, Ten Hag has confirmed United’s buy-back clause, insisting that the club is assessing Fernandez’s situation at Benfica.
He refuted suggestions that United made a mistake, stressing that a permanent sale is what he needed to take the next step in his career.
He said: “I think the process is perfect. We loaned him to Preston, he got back, then we loaned him to Granada, he didn’t play so much there, and of course we, all the time, observed him and now we had the opportunity to sell him.
“But we have a buy-back [clause] so we have control of the situation, I think that’s what he needed. From Preston, then go to La Liga, go to Portugal [with Benfica], every time stepping up to a higher club and a better league.
“Now we have to see and assess the situation if he can be an option for us. But playing at Man United is not so easy, playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not so easy.
“You need experience, also development. You get development from playing for better clubs and in better leagues.”
Did Man Utd make a mistake?
Ten Hag’s words in press conferences have stopped resonating with the fans, especially since no interview these days seems to go without him mentioning the two trophies he’s won at the club.
However, in this case, he’s more right than wrong because a player playing well after leaving United doesn’t mean his trajectory would have been the same at the club either.
United brought Sergio Reguilon on loan last season and felt comfortable selling Fernandez this year even with the knowledge that both Shaw and Malacia aren’t beacons of reliability.
Therefore, it is clear that Fernandez would have never received the game time to make the breakthrough he has in Portugal.
While not giving him the chance to impress can certainly be questioned, playing regularly in the Premier League for Man Utd is an entirely different prospect than playing for Benfica, as Ten Hag said.
The club protected themselves perfectly with the buy-back, as well as sell-on clause which is the best they could have done in those circumstances.
Now they can reap the benefits of it, be it by bringing him back or his sale which would net United more money.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
