Man United already cashed in on Carreras — but Chelsea move would earn them nothing

Manchester United will receive no financial benefit if Álvaro Carreras completes a move to Chelsea this summer, despite having already earned up to £7.5 million from the left-back’s career trajectory — a sell-on clause that paid out when Benfica sold him to Real Madrid.

United sold Carreras to Benfica for €9 million in 2024 after the Portuguese club made his loan spell permanent. Crucially, United had inserted a 15% sell-on clause into that deal. When Real Madrid signed Carreras from Benfica in the summer of 2025 for €43 million, that clause activated and returned up to £7.5 million to Old Trafford. The clause, however, was a one-time mechanism tied to the Benfica sale — meaning any subsequent transfer from Real Madrid to Chelsea would generate nothing for United.

Carreras has emerged as a summer target for Chelsea following Marc Cucurella’s £51.7 million move to Real Madrid. Incoming Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso is said to know the 23-year-old well and has reportedly included him on his list of transfer priorities as the club looks to fill the void left by the Spaniard.

The defender’s path to this point has been a winding one. He joined United’s academy from Real Madrid at the age of 17 in 2020 and won the Under-23 Player of the Year award for the 2021-22 season, but never made a competitive first-team appearance for the club. Loan spells at Preston North End and La Liga side Granada followed before his January 2024 move to Benfica changed the course of his career.

His performances in Lisbon were impressive enough to attract Real Madrid, who brought him back to Spain in a high-profile deal. His debut campaign at the Bernabéu proved inconsistent, however — he made 40 appearances, scoring twice and registering three assists, but frequently found himself competing with Fran García for a starting berth.

With José Mourinho set to take charge at Real Madrid and Cucurella’s arrival adding further competition at left-back, Carreras faces an uncertain future in the Spanish capital. Chelsea’s interest, backed by Alonso’s personal endorsement, could offer him a cleaner route to regular first-team football.