Man Utd could get one over on Real Madrid with £15m summer transfer

could land a jab on Real Madrid by snapping up Alvaro Carreras in a £15million swoop. United retain the option to bring Carreras back to Old Trafford as part of the agreement that saw him depart for Benfica for a modest £5m in 2024.

Carreras has since risen to prominence as one of Europe's top left-backs. His feats have caught the watchful eye of Real Madrid, who are eager to entice him to the Bernabeu come the summer transfer window. Spanish media is abuzz with talk that Real would like United to activate their buy-back clause and then offload the defender to them for an estimated £30m.

The Spanish juggernauts find themselves put off by the steep £50m valuation placed on the player by Benfica and are hoping United might aid them in clinching a bargain deal.

With Ruben Amorim at the helm operating under a tight budget this summer, Carreras could end up being part of United's squad again.

There's been a historic strain in the affairs between United and Real Madrid, punctuated by several notorious disputes. Iconic United manager Sir Alex Ferguson famously proclaimed he "wouldn't sell Real a virus".

And not to be forgotten was the infamous 2015 debacle when David De Gea's anticipated switch from United to Real Madrid faltered, famously missing the transfer deadline by mere minutes, leading to a spat where both sides pointed fingers.