Erik ten Hag's huge Manchester United transfer mistake could be exposed against Liverpool FC tonight
Man Utd might need to strengthen the position next year but they already had an ideal solution.
Most eyes will be on Trent Alexander-Arnold as Real Madrid face Liverpool in the Champions League tonight. Manchester United fans will have their eyes on the other flank to see if they really did make such a glaring transfer mistake.
Alvaro Carreras has already started 13 times for Real Madrid since he completed a summer move from Benfica and is expected to occupy the left-back role against Liverpool at Anfield. At a time when Jim Ratcliffe claimed United's academy had slipped, it is remarkable that a talent so obvious managed to slip away.
For all the progress United have made under Ruben Amorim, the left wing-back role remains a problem. Patrick Dorgu is an incredibly raw talent, Diogo Dalot is a makeshift solution at best, Diego Leon is one for the future and Harry Amass is out on loan. Even before he moved to Madrid in the summer, Carreras would have been an upgrade on all four.
Ten Hag’s costly transfer mistake
Benfica paid €6 million plus committed a further €3m in potential add-ons to sign Carreras a year ago. It felt like a fairly low fee for a player of such potential, but United felt they protected their interests when they negotiated a large sell-on clause and a buy-back option into the deal.
United never explored the possibility of their £16m buy-back option this year, given all parties were so determined to complete a move to Madrid instead. United earned roughly £5.87m from their sell-on clause instead, to take the overall fee pocketed from him to £11m if you include that initial sale.
It would be easy to point the blame at United chiefs for not exploring a summer reunion, but the damage was done by former manager Erik ten Hag. Ralf Ranginick had named Carreras on the bench for his final four matches as interim head coach, yet the 22-year-old was excluded from the summer pre-season tour squad by Ten Hag.
He then went on loan to Preston, where he was named the club's young player of the year and looked certain to be given a chance in the United first team. The following pre-season, he did not play in any of the senior US Tour matches and inconceivably fell behind Brandon Williams in the pecking order. Williams ended the summer on loan at Championship side Ipswich Town, while Carreras joined La Liga side Granada on loan.
That spell in Spain helped aid his development into the player he is today, though it signalled another mistake from Ten Hag. Rather than give the talented youngster a chance, he signed compatriot Sergio Reguilon on a season-long loan that was terminated midway through in anticipation of Tyrell Malacia's return from injury.
By the time Malacia returned, Ten Hag had been replaced by Ruben Amorim, and the left-back issue and transformed into a left wing-back issue. United had to address the position in the winter and committed £25.2m to sign Patrick Dorgu from Lecce, with another £4.2m in potential add-ons.
Dorgu is still a very raw talent whose development was not helped by the burden placed upon him as part of a dysfunctional team last season. He is still learning on the job, and it is an unfortunate coincidence that United's four-match unbeaten run has taken place since he dropped out of the line up against Sunderland.
United's problems are such that it would not be a surprise if they had to sign another left wing-back next year. It might all have been avoided had Ten Hag just given Carreras a chance.
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