The true explanation for Erik ten Hag’s decision not to utilize Real Madrid’s recent €50 million acquisition, Alvaro Carreras, during his tenure at Manchester United has now come to light.
Carreras was officially presented by Real Madrid on Tuesday, five years after departing from the club’s youth academy to join Manchester United. “I arrived here as a boy and return as a man,” stated the 22-year-old. “I vow to give my utmost effort. I will battle for every minute on the field and dedicate my all.
Manchester United has reportedly secured a profit of €8.8 million following Carreras’ transfer from Benfica to Real Madrid, having negotiated a sell-on clause that entitles them to 20 percent of any future transfer profit. Nevertheless, fans of Manchester United may be puzzled as to how a player, who has been signed by Real Madrid for a substantial fee, managed to evade their grasp at Old Trafford.Carreras, formerly known as Alvaro Fernandez, will now take on the role of left-back for Xabi Alonso’s illustrious team at the Bernabeu.
This raises the question: why did the Spaniard not make a single competitive appearance for Manchester United? An explanation has recently surfaced, provided by Simon Stone, the chief football news reporter for BBC Sport.
Stone revealed: “My understanding is Erik ten Hag felt Carreras was not quick enough for the Premier League and struggled against quick players – and that he was more suited to a back-three defensive formation. There was no queue of Premier League clubs looking at him, which is how he ended up on loan, first at Grenada and then Benfica.
“My question is why, given United spent the latter half of the 2023-24 season without a recognised left-back, they didn’t bring him back to Old Trafford last summer, when Ten Hag concluded Harry Amass was not strong enough.“
That would have seemed sensible from a business perspective, knowing Carreras’ value had risen and with a half-decent season behind him, they would get a higher fee if they opted to sell at the end of the season. That would have seemed sensible to me. Instead, they struggled through to January, when they spent £25m on Patrick Dorgu
Indeed, it is intriguing to ponder why Ten Hag chose not to utilize Carreras more frequently, especially considering his impressive performance during a season-long loan at Preston North End. He was awarded Preston’s Young Player of the Year for the 2022-23 season, demonstrating that he was well-suited for the demands of English football.
Nevertheless, this achievement did not suffice to persuade Ten Hag that Carreras was ready to advance to the next level. “Competing for Manchester United and in the Premier League is quite challenging,” remarked the Dutch coach, who currently oversees German club Bayer Leverkusen, as reported by the Manchester Evening News. “Experience and development are essential, and these are gained by playing for superior clubs and in more competitive leagues.”