Manchester United had a stellar 2025 summer transfer window, with a perfect record of successful additions and sales, but in previous years this hasn’t always been the case.
In 2024, Ineos were only beginning to get to grips with organising Manchester United’s transfers both incoming and outgoing.
This saw Scott McTominay sold, a decision which has aged horrendously as the Scottish midfielder ended up becoming a world class player for Napoli.
The decision joined a long list of poorly judged sales over the years by United, before and after Ineos arrived, but one exit will be particularly painful.
Manchester United regret letting Alvaro Fernandez leave
In 2024, United sold Alvaro Fernandez for just £5m, and he has since went on to return to Real Madrid, starring for the Spanish giants.
Fernandez has been excellent for Madrid and United in Focus understands that there are figures at Old Trafford who believe the left-back should still be at the club.
Now known as Carreras, Alvaro Fernandez was key in Real Madrid’s El Classico win over Barcelona and is becoming a big player for Xabi Alonso.
However, United are thinking he should never have left, as Graeme Bailey reveals to United in Focus.
“United don’t really look back on any deals with regret, but Carreras is one that I am told that they think they perhaps he was not given the chance he should of.
“A couple of people within the club, even before he left, thought he was worthy of a crack at the first-team but it was not meant to be, but now he is proving that he probably should have been given that chance.”
Erik ten Hag wasted Alvaro Fernandez at Manchester United
During the 2023/24 season, it was crystal clear that United needed a new left-back, yet instead of turning to Fernandez, Erik ten Hag used anybody else.
Ten Hag deserves major criticism for his role in Fernandez’s exit, as fans were convinced that the Spanish youngster was ready to play a part, yet Sofyan Amrabat was used out of position instead.
It was arguably Ten Hag’s biggest error at United, costing him his job in the end, with left-back the clearest weakness, up until Patrick Dorgu arrived.
United had no chance of signing Fernandez back from Benfica in the summer for the agreed buy-back clause, with the defender not trusting the club due to his bad experience.
Fernandez is more complete than Dorgu right now and would have been even cheaper. So it is no surprise that United are regretting the decision.
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