Ruben Amorim's first Man Utd signing 'already been decided' – 'He has the quality'
Ruben Amorim will get to work at Manchester United during the November international break, and his first Red Devils signing could already be written in the stars
by Ben Crawford, Maria Ortega · The MirrorSpanish defender Alvaro Fernandez Carreras could well earn himself a return to Manchester United under new head coach Ruben Amorim.
That’s according to Benfica icon Alvaro Magalhaes, who believes his namesake – who moved to the Portuguese capital this May – has the class to make an Old Trafford comeback. 21-year-old Fernandez made the move to Carrington in 2020 at 16 – signing from Real Madrid amid interest from rivals Manchester City.
The Spanish left-back kitted out nearly 50 times for the Red Devils’ Under-21s side before lacklustre loan spells with Preston and Granada saw him jump ship for Benfica, who exercised a £5million buy option this summer – something they have not regretted.
Fernandez has started nearly all of The Eagles’ domestic and Champions League matches this season, constantly impressing. Incoming boss Amorim, managing rivals Sporting CP, has seen such performances and, according to Alvaro, will likely take the Primeira Liga outfit up on the near £17m buy-back clause that the Manchester club withhold.
"I'm afraid Rúben Amorim will take him [Fernandez] to Manchester United,” Alvaro, who played over 200 times for Benfica and last managed top-flight side Farense, admitted.
“It seems to me that he has the quality to be one of their first options, and looking at their squad, I believe with the new coaching staff, he could become an option again because the new coach knows him very well from what he saw at Benfica.
"When he debuted in the league, I saw a brilliant left-back in him. The way he positioned himself, how he touched the ball. For many, doubts are only now starting to dissipate. I feel today that many people have long been undermining a high-performance athlete with potential for high achievement.
“At Benfica, only the best should play, and he is undoubtedly the best. He was wronged within Benfica, but fortunately, he never gave up.”
With United’s squad having been critiqued for their sub-par mentality, Alvaro feels that one thing Fernandez would bring back with him to Old Trafford – if Amorim offered him a return – is a tenacity that few current players have.
"That ability to react to adversity seems to be his strength,” Alvaro continued. “Great players only succeed if they are mentally very strong, and that seems to be the case. If someone is weak, they can't play for Benfica, just as they can't play for Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, or PSG.
“If he were weak, he would have already been released from Benfica. He is one of those footballers we should fight to keep at the club because of their quality. I hope he has a lot of luck and continues to have a great season."
Amorim’s side has until the summer of 2026 to exercise the £17m option – standing at £42m for other teams – that would see them buy back Fernandez. But former boss Erik ten Hag didn’t seem wholly convinced when asked about his progress last month before being sacked.
"We loaned him to Preston, he returned and then we loaned him again to Granada. He didn't play much there and we had the opportunity to sell him. But we have a clause that allows us to control the situation,” Ten Hag stated.
“We will have to see and assess the situation to understand if he can be an option for us. But playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not easy."
Thankfully for Fernandez, Liga Portugal aficionado Amorim will now take up the reins at Old Trafford. The Spaniard has been tipped to become much-needed cover for unnatural left-back Diogo Dalot, as well as the persistently-injured Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
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