Report: Benfica interested in Manchester United left-back

SLB Benfica are interested in signing Manchester United left-back Alvaro Fernandez in January, according to O Jogo.

The United startlet is currently on loan to La Liga side Granada and seems to be enjoying his time in Spain so far. Last season, he was at Preston North End in the Championship.

Injuries to Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia left the Red Devils with no senior natural left-back options, which would have resulted in Erik Ten Hag turning to Fernandez. However, the Spaniard did not get the chance despite shortage in the position. Instead, he was loaned out to Granada which left many fans confused and concerned about the long term future of the young prospect.

The player is expected to be valued at around €7million and Benfica have been him ‘on top of their list’ of targets, so an aggressive pursuit of his services may be looming.

Red Devil Armada’s verdict:

This should have been the breakthrough season for Alvaro Fernandez, alongside Kobbie Mainoo from Carrington. Instead, his future is very much up in the air as of now. It is unclear whether Ten Hag thinks he is worth holding out on perhaps for contention next season. With Malacia soon to return and Luke Shaw starting pretty much every game he is available in, there is no realistic look in for Fernandez if he is deemed not good enough to be an understudy of Shaw.

If he does go, United would be wise to include some sort of buy back or sell on clause as he is expected to become a real force in European football if things go well for him, and more importantly, he plays under a manager who believes in his hype.