Defender Alvaro Fernandez has sealed a full transfer to Benfica from Manchester United, with the Lisbon-based outfit deciding to activate the purchase clause following his loan period.
The young 21-year-old left-back had an impressive stint at Benfica, featuring in 16 games under Roger Schmidt’s management, contributing to the team’s second-place finish in Liga Portugal, just behind Sporting CP.
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His performance caught the attention of the club’s hierarchy, and as reported by the Manchester Evening News before the weekend, they were keen on acquiring Fernandez’s services.
The completion of the transfer was officially announced on Sunday evening, marking Manchester United’s inaugural move of the summer transfer window of 2024, as stated in a release by the club.
After explaining the formalities, it concluded: “Everyone at United would like to wish Alvaro all the best of luck in the future and will be keeping an eye on his progress.”
Benfica has finalized the acquisition of the player from Manchester United, with a transfer fee of approximately £5 million and an additional £2.5 million in possible bonuses, despite the player not having debuted for the senior team at Old Trafford.
The former Real Madrid junior made 62 appearances for Manchester United’s youth squads but did not break into the first teams under managers Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or Erik ten Hag.
Earlier in the season, he had a short stint with Granada in La Liga, and in the previous season (2022/23), he earned the title of Young Player of the Season at Preston North End, where he spent the year on loan in the Championship.
Manchester United is content with the terms of the sale, having included a buy-back option and a sell-on percentage in the event Fernandez is transferred to another team in the future.
Insiders believe that the club has incorporated ‘substantial safeguards’ into this and other recent transfer agreements, similar to the provisions made during Hannibal Mejbri’s ongoing loan to Sevilla.
