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Manchester United’s need to sell players in order to raise funds is forcing the club to make some difficult decisions, with the future of Alvaro Fernandez now coming into question.
The 20-year-old Spaniard impressed during preseason, after coming back from a successful loan spell with Preston North End in the Championship.
As reported by The Peoples Person, United are mulling over allowing the left back to leave the club on loan in order to increase his exposure to first team football.
Premier League returnees Burnley and La Liga outfit Real Betis have both been mooted as possible destinations for such a deal.
But with Erik ten Hag scrambling for funds and the first team squad already having two solid options in Fernandez’s position in Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia, a permanent transfer could be on the cards.
According to Relevo, that is exactly the prospect that is now under consideration at Old Trafford, with a number of sides in Spain circling.
Granada, Las Palmas, and Espanyol are among them, while Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany are also interested. Not content with targeting just the three Man United players this summer, West Ham are even getting in on the act closer to home.
What is surprising, perhaps even concerning, is that the report has Alvaro Fernandez’s asking price down as a paltry £6m. When considering the kind of fees the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea have commanded for their academy graduates in recent years, it would be something of a disappointment to see such a high-potential player leave for so small a fee.
While he is yet to feature competitively for The Red Devils, his talent is plain for all to see, and one would imagine that the former Real Madrid youngster would command a higher fee.
He may be within the last twelve months of his current contract, but United have an option to trigger a one-year extension to take his stay at the club until the summer of 2025.
It may well be that, in his determination to strengthen the first team squad further, Ten Hag is willing to let go of some of the younger players on the fringes, as he did with Anthony Elanga last month.
But with Alvaro Fernandez on low wages and ready for a loan move to a top-division club, accepting a £6m offer would arguably expose a lack of foresight. The player clearly has the potential to contribute to Manchester United in the future. At the very least, continuing his development at the club would likely see him command a higher fee later down the line.
Another possibility remains, however. Relevo claims that Manchester Unite have “not ruled out selling for a lower price, but without losing 100% of the rights of Álvaro Fernández.” Since English clubs are not permitted to partake in co-ownership agreements over players, the report may well be suggesting a buy-back option.
