Alvaro Fernandez was backed for a first-team role by some inside Manchester United but Erik ten Hag simply didn’t agree.
Few United fans would have expected the club to be in a late dash to sign a new left back.
Heading into the transfer window, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia looks like solid competition for the left back spot.
Sadly, both Shaw and Malacia are now injured and it’s unclear when either of them will be available again.
Erik ten Hag decided to go back into the market closed, landing Tottenham Hotspur’s Sergio Reguilon on loan until the end of the season.
Erik ten Hag disagreed with Manchester United staff on Alvaro Fernandez
United did have another in-house option though with Alvaro Fernandez at Ten Hag’s disposal.
The 20-year-old impressed on loan at Preston North End last season and returned to United a much more mature player.
Fernandez featured in pre-season but seemingly didn’t quite do enough to impress Ten Hag.
The Athletic now report that some figures inside United, who tracked Fernandez’s development at PNE, thought that he was worth starting after Shaw’s injury.
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Ten Hag didn’t agree and felt that United needed another signing, hence landing Reguilon and targeting the likes of Nicolas Tagliafico, Marcos Alonso and Marc Cucurella.
Ten Hag wanted more experience so Fernandez was told that he could go out on loan rather than emerge into the United first-team picture.
Fernandez has chosen La Liga over the Premier League
Fernandez has missed out on senior action at United but he has now secured himself a loan move away from Old Trafford.
The former Real Madrid talent completed a late loan move to Granada and will spend the season playing in La Liga.
Fernandez did have interest from England though with Ideal in Spain reporting that Burnley and West Ham United made approaches.
Fernandez has ended up back in Spain though and will now be looking to show Ten Hag that he can be considered for first-team action down the line.