Man Utd set for important financial boost as £42m deal agreed for fullback

Manchester United are set for a timely financial boost as Álvaro Carreras’s high-profile transfer to Real Madrid is completed.

The 22-year-old Spanish left-back is expected to join the La Liga giants from Benfica for a fee in the region of £42 million (€50 million), and United stand to profit significantly thanks to a smartly negotiated sell-on clause.

When United sold Carreras to Benfica last year for around £5 million, they included a 20% sell-on clause on any profit Benfica made above that initial fee. 

With Real Madrid now activating Carreras’s release clause, United are due to receive approximately £7.6 million from the deal, reported The Mirror.

This windfall comes at a crucial moment, as manager Rúben Amorim continues his summer rebuild and looks to strengthen the squad ahead of the new season.

Carreras, who impressed during his time in Portugal, had been linked with a potential return to Old Trafford due to a buy-back clause set at around £16–17 million.

However, United have not exercised that option, focusing instead on reinvesting the funds from the sell-on clause into new signings.

The club has already made moves in the transfer market, bringing in Matheus Cunha and targeting further reinforcements, with the Carreras cash injection providing extra flexibility.

The deal represents a rare piece of positive business for United, who have faced criticism in recent years for failing to maximize value from outgoing transfers.

The Carreras windfall not only helps balance the books but also supports ongoing negotiations for targets such as Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

For Carreras, the move to Real Madrid marks a return to his boyhood club and a significant step in his career, while for United, it’s a reminder of the importance of savvy contract clauses in the modern transfer market.

As the summer window heats up, this unexpected £7.6 million boost could prove vital in shaping United’s squad for the season ahead