Ruben Amorim is about to enter his first transfer window as Manchester United manager and even though not much is expected in January, the need is clear.
There are some square pegs in rounds holes in the current Man Utd squad, not least of which is at left wing-back, where it feels like a new player is playing in every game.
Man Utd have been linked with many options for that position, from Alphonso Davies and Milos Kerkez to Theo Hernandez and Alvaro Fernandez.
Out of all those options, Fernandez stands out because unlike the other names, there will be no negotiation involved over the fee due to Fernandes’ buy-back clause.
Will Man Utd trigger Alvaro Fernandez’s buy-back clause?
Fernandez was sold to SL Benfica in the summer as a part of the drive which led to the sale of many academy products for FFP purposes.
He has quickly established himself as the first name on the teamsheet in Portugal, with Fernandez impressing everyone with his form in the Champions League, in particular.
Fortunately, United negotiated a buy-back clause in the deal that sold him to Benfica but they wouldn’t have envisioned it would become a genuine option this soon.
United’s Fernandez buy-back clause stands at about £25 million, almost four times the fee for which he was sold so there’s understandable reservation in triggering it this soon.
The Athletic reports that United consider triggering Fernandez’s buy-back clause this soon after his transfer as a “climbdown” from their initial position.
Besides the optics of such a move, the financial part wouldn’t make much sense either, as the cost of acquiring him will exceed the cost of selling him in just six months, despite amortisation.
It could be a move they look towards in the summer, especially if other targets don’t pan out and due to Amorim’s familiarity with him in Portugal but as of now, Fernandez’s return to Old Trafford in January can be completely ruled out.
Man Utd’s transfer targets
The report also states that as things stand, Alphonso Davies is not a priority target despite his status as a potential free agent because of the wages he could command.
Real Madrid are also interested and that’s a fight only money can win, that too by blowing them out of the water completely, something that United might not be inclined to do for Davies.
Fabrizio Romano recently said Milos Kerkez is a concrete target for United and his performance for Bournemouth against United at Old Trafford wouldn’t have done any harm to his suitors at the club.
Hernandez’s contract situation at AC Milan is also one to watch for because he will undoubtedly command lesser wages than Davies and Milan could be open for business if the Frenchman makes his intentions clear.
Amorim’s desire for a left wing-back will be fulfilled, it just doesn’t look like it will happen in January unless there’s a stop-gap solution on loan like Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer for Erik ten Hag in his debut season.
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