Manchester United have been hit with a fresh blow as the truth about their sell-on clause for Alvaro Carreras is revealed amid Real Madrid’s interest.
Manchester United are looking to raise as much funding as possible as Rúben Amorim looks to sign a host of new first-team players at Old Trafford.
United have already announced the pending arrival of Matheus Cunha. At the same time, Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo has informed the club that he intends to join them over Newcastle or Arsenal, should United manage to strike an agreement with Brentford.
However, should United secure both forwards, they will need to raise the rest of their transfer kitty through sales, with players such as Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Alejandro Garnacho set to be sold.
However, there is also the chance that United could raise further funding through the sale of sell-on clauses from previous players now playing for other clubs.
United hit with Carreras sell-on blow
One transfer that United fans have regretted in the last year is the sale of Alvaro Carreras to Benfica, with the left-back touted as a perfect fit for Amorim. The young Spaniard was deemed surplus to requirements by Erik ten Hag and sold for around £6 million.
However, Carreras has since emerged as a rising star in Portugal and is now the subject of intense interest from Real Madrid. Despite United having a buy-back clause of £17 million available to them, the club chose to forego this and sign Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu for the position in January instead.
Although initial reports had stated that United had a 40% sell-on clause inserted into Carreras’ contract, The Athletic have now confirmed that this clause is much lower, sitting at around 20% of any fee above £5 million Benfica receive.
With Carreras also having a release clause of around £38 million in his contract, this means United will earn around £6.5 million from his sale, which is still a half-decent fee, just less than many initially expected Amorim would receive.
United cannot depend on sell-on clauses this summer
Although United also have sell-on clauses in several other contracts across Europe, such as in Mason Greenwood’s Marseille deal and Willy Kambwala’s at Villareal, the club cannot depend on these agreements to raise funds.
While Cunha’s acquisition and Mbeumo’s hopeful move are fantastic additions, United cannot stop there. They must bring in a new midfielder, a new striker, and possibly a new goalkeeper, depending on the future of André Onana.
United have over £150 million worth of players they can sell, with Sancho, Rashford, and Garnacho being accompanied on the transfer list by those like Tyrell Malacia and Antony.
Almost every player would be available for sale this summer for the right price, although United will be hoping they can hold onto the likes of Leny Yoro, Bruno Fernandes, and Amad for next season and beyond.
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