Erik ten Hag on touchline during Manchester United game
Manchester United are poised to complete their fourth significant exit of the January transfer window, as Fabrizio Romano has given one player’s move his ‘here we go’ seal of approval.
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag has managed to get three unwanted players off his books so far this month. Donny van de Beek was the first, as the central midfielder joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan until the end of the season. Frankfurt have the option to make the move permanent for €14million (£12m), should Van De Beek impress.
It was not long before Sergio Reguilon followed Van De Beek out of Old Trafford, too. The left-back’s season-long loan was cut short after Man Utd activated a break clause in his contract. Reguilon has returned to parent club Tottenham Hotspur as a result.
Unsurprisingly, winger Jadon Sancho has also left the Red Devils. On Thursday, his return to German giants Borussia Dortmund was confirmed.
Dortmund have signed Sancho on a six-month loan, though there is no option for them to sign him permanently in the summer for a fixed price. That transfer and the fee involved will ultimately depend on how Sancho does in the Bundesliga – he registered an assist on his second debut for Dortmund on Saturday.
A fourth player is now set to depart Man Utd in January, as young left-back Alvaro Fernandez Carreras – also known as Alvaro Fernandez – is close to signing for Benfica.
On December 30, reports in Portugal revealed that Benfica were hoping to make Fernandez their new left-back. And it was even claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe was open to selling him for just £6m.
On Saturday, it emerged that the 20-year-old had agreed personal terms with Benfica. This meant that the final hurdle for the Portuguese side was to finalise an agreement with Man Utd.
Man Utd player bound for Benfica
As per the latest from Fabrizio Romano, Benfica have managed to do just that. They have struck a loan agreement which includes the option for Benfica to buy at the end of the campaign. This prompts Romano to label the deal ‘here we go’ done.
Both clubs are exchanging documents, and the Spaniard’s medical has been booked in.
Fernandez is currently on loan at Granada, though this deal will be terminated to allow him to head to Portugal next.
Romano does not state exactly how much the buy option will be worth. Although, if previous estimations are anything to go by, then it could stand at around £6-9m.
There is an element of risk to this transfer from a Man Utd perspective. Fernandez has great potential, and if he reaches that during his time at Benfica then Man Utd could miss out on significant money.
And that is exactly what Benfica are hoping will happen. When it was revealed that Benfica were initially pursuing Fernandez, Portuguese newspaper O Jogo stated that they want him to follow in the footsteps of another left-back, Alejandro Grimaldo. He swapped Barcelona for Benfica in a cut-price deal in 2016 and went on to make over 300 appearances for the Primeira Liga outfit.
