Manchester United have been accused of selling cheap instead of investing in young talent after Alvaro Carreras joined Real Madrid from Benfica in the summer
Manchester United made a huge mistake by letting Alvaro Carreras leave Old Trafford, according to one of the club’s former scouts. Piotr Sadowski has criticized the Red Devils’ decision to sign the Spaniard, suggesting the club may have let go of a potential superstar.
Carreras joined United as a youth player from Real Madrid and was named United’s Under-23 Player of the Season in 2022 before moving on loan to Preston, Granada and Benfica. The left-back never featured in United’s first team, making an unused appearance in a few Premier League games and eventually leaving for Benfica in 2024 in a deal worth up to £7.8 million.
A year later, the Red Devils will be happy to have included a sell-on clause in his contract. Real Madrid signed the 22-year-old from Portugal for £43m, with United receiving a £7.2m cut of that amount.
Still, Old Trafford appear to be missing out on quite a bit of talent. Real spent a lot of money on Carreras after he scored four goals and provided five assists in 52 games last season, and he hasn’t slowed down since leaving Lisbon.
The Spaniard has already secured a place in Xabi Alonso’s starting XI, missing just eight minutes in La Liga this season and starting three out of four Champions League games. Carreras scored his first goal for Madrid in early November, helping Los Blancos move to the top of the table with a three-goal advantage over Barcelona.
read more: Manchester United bosses open new negotiations with £20m financial hit in sightread more: Jude Bellingham ‘threatened to quit’ Birmingham when coach stacked odds against him
Former United scout Sadowski questions United’s reluctance to invest in young players. He slammed the club’s treatment of Carreras, who he believed was on the right track until United gave up on him.
“He probably came to Manchester United when he was 16[in 2020],” Sadowski told Przegrad Sportwy. “He was a very hard-working and ambitious boy who quickly learned languages - I know this because I met him in person.
“Initially, his career path was very good. He was loaned to Preston and received good reviews, but United gave up on him and sold him to Benfica for a small transfer fee.”
“Carreras is a true top-class player,” Sadowski continued. “He could very well be the best or one of the best left-backs in the world. He recently scored a beautiful goal against Valencia in La Liga.
“It was a big mistake for United to let him go. I think something was missing here and United’s lack of courage in investing in young players.”
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive Mirror Football content every day. Community members also receive special offers, promotions, and advertisements from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can always check out. If you are interested, please read our privacy notice.
Sky Sports Premier League and EFL package discounts
£49
£35
sky
Get the deal here
Sky has reduced the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 on their bill and offering more than 1,400 live matches from Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will broadcast at least 215 live Premier League matches next season, with an increase of up to 100 more.
