What Alvaro Fernandez said about Erik ten Hag snub amid Man United return interest

Former Manchester United defender Alvaro Fernandez joined Benfica on a permanent transfer in the summer after not getting first-team opportunities under Erik ten Hag.

Fernandez, also known as Carreras, has been excelling at Benfica this season and he already has several big clubs monitoring his situation.

Manchester United are included in that group after Erik ten Hag confirmed that they are paying close attention to the former Academy star, who had a buyback clause inserted into his contract.

Over the last two seasons, left-back has been a major problem for those at Old Trafford, with injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, and Fernandez could be a potential solution.

In an interview last December with The Athletic, while on loan, Fernandez expressed that his clear ambition was to succeed at United.

However, the 21-year-old defender also noted how Ten Hag “didn’t count on me,” despite the injury concerns at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.

Instead of putting trust in Fernandez at that time, Ten Hag snubbed the youngster’s chances in the first-team, sending him on another loan and opting to sign Sergio Reguilon on loan instead.

“What message did United give me? That I should go out on loan, that Ten Hag didn’t count on me,” Fernandez detailed.

“I should continue to gain experience, rhythm, and we’ll see what happens in the future. But it’s clear that football doesn’t end at any club and that you have to keep working.

“My main objective is to return to United and make a place for myself there.”

Fernandez joined the club alongside Alejandro Garnacho in 2020 and a potential return to United would be well-received by the majority of the fanbase.

However, Ten Hag has also stressed that the challenges in the Premier League while playing for United are much tougher than Fernandez’ current level.

“We have a buy-back [clause] so we have control of the situation, I think that’s what he needed,” the manager told reporters.

“Now we have to see and assess the situation if he can be an option for us. But playing at Man United is not so easy, playing in the Premier League for Manchester United is not so easy.”

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