Manchester United may yet regret letting a talented star go, with two of world football’s biggest names now in the fold.
The Red Devils allowed Alvaro Fernandez to leave the club in January this year to join Benfica.
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But reports from Portugal suggest he is now firmly in the sights of Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Both sides view left-back as an area to strengthen, with the 21-year-old Spaniard an option.
Fernandez left Man United on an initial loan deal to Benfica earlier this year, with that move becoming permanent over the summer for a fee of £5 million.
Since then, Fernandez has played nine games this season, with Benfica managing seven wins, one draw and just one defeat.
This £5 million deal appears to be a disaster for Man United given the quality of their performances.
However, the Red Devils have a buyback option that they may want to use if he continues to impress.
Left-back has also proven to be a difficult position so far this season, with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia out for long periods.
Fernandez, who has appeared eight times for Spain’s U21 national team, spent three years with Real Madrid’s youth team before moving to Man United in 2020.
Although Fernandez never featured in the Premier League team, he played 14 times during his loan spell at Granada.
He also made 42 appearances during a 2022/23 loan season at Preston.
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This season, thanks to his impressive performances, he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award.
Of course, it would be a completely different challenge to gain a foothold at Real Madrid or Barcelona.
Benfica is currently in third place in Liga Portugal and has also won two out of two games in the Champions League league phase.
These included a 2-1 win over Red Star Belgrade and a 4-0 home win against Atlético Madrid.
With Alvarez playing every minute of these games, he seems completely at home in the Champions League – something that could serve him well when life awaits him at one of the world’s biggest football clubs.