Manchester United have one person to blame for huge Alvaro Fernandez regret

Manchester United have one person to blame for huge Alvaro Fernandez regret

Former Man Utd defender Alvaro Fernandez has signed for Real Madrid and there is regret at his exit from Old Trafford.

Alvaro Fernandez has re-signed for Real Madrid.

Erik ten Hag overlooked Amad for Omari Forson at the beginning of 2024. Amad was forced to consider his future away from Old Trafford and his departure would have been a huge loss to Manchester United.

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Forson made a single start and eight substitute appearances as Monza were relegated from Serie A after finishing rock bottom last season, which proves Ten Hag got his pecking order wrong.

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Ten Hag made a handful of inexplicable decisions during his two-and-a-half years in Manchester, but perhaps his decision to overlook Alvaro Fernandez was worse than his preference for Forson over Amad.

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Although Ten Hag had various qualities as United boss, his assessment of talent could be iffy and there must be regrets about the circumstances of Fernandez's departure from the club.

Fernandez joined Benfica on loan in January 2024 with a view to a permanent transfer in the summer window and the Portuguese subsequently club triggered their option to buy him.

Benfica paid €6million (£5.2m) plus €3m (£2.6m) in potential add-ons to sign Fernandez and United inserted a 15 per cent sell-on clause, along with a buy-back option, into the sale.

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Just a year later, Fernandez has signed for Real Madrid in a €50m (£43m) deal and supporters have pulled their hair out, wondering why the defender was allowed to slip through United's net.

The truth is the blame lies with Ten Hag, who did not deem Fernandez worthy of a senior debut, despite his first-team potential being obvious after his arrival at the club as a teenager in 2020.

VALDEBEBAS, SPAIN - JULY 15: Alvaro Carreras attends the press conference during his presentation as new player of Real Madrid at Ciudad Deportiva Real Madrid on July 15, 2025, in Valdebebas, Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Dennis Agyeman / AFP7 via Getty Images)

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Fernandez won the Denzil Haroun Reserve-Team Player of the Year award in 2021/22 for his brilliant academy performances. However, Ralf Rangnick also denied him a debut.

The Spaniard made the first-team squad for the last four Premier League games of Rangnick's tenure, but Alex Telles was strangely picked ahead of him on the final day of the season.

Fernandez was loaned to Preston for 2022/2023 and looked determined to prove his quality. His spell at the Deepdale Stadium was considered a resounding success and he subsequently travelled on the pre-season tour of the USA after an injury to Tyrell Malacia, but opportunities were limited.

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Fernandez's only appearance in the States in the summer of 2023 was against Wrexham in San Diego when an academy side was fielded. Even Brandon Williams was handed more minutes.

There was also a sliding door moment in August 2023 when Luke Shaw picked up an injury against Tottenham. Malacia remained on the sidelines, recovering from knee surgery, but Diogo Dalot started at left back in the following game and Fernandez was named on the bench.

To make matters worse, Sergio Reguilon was signed on loan from Tottenham on deadline day.

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Fernandez's loan to Granada was confirmed on the same day and he later criticised Ten Hag.

“What message did United give me? That I should go out on loan, that Ten Hag didn’t count on me, that I should continue to gain experience, rhythm, and we’ll see what happens in the future," he told The Athletic in December 2023.

"But it’s clear that football doesn’t end at any club and that you have to keep working. My main objective is to return to United and make a place for myself there.”

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Fernandez knew his time was up at United in the summer of 2023.

Eyebrows were raised when Fernandez signed for Benfica on loan in January last year because it was a move with a view to a permanent transfer. United fans understood he was about to leave the club for good.

Fernandez was never given a fair crack of the whip by Ten Hag, despite the evidence in front of him and injuries to Shaw and Malacia, meaning there were no senior left-backs available.

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It always felt possible Fernandez would use Benfica as a springboard to further success and his departure from United looks much worse after his multi-million pound move to the world's biggest club.

Ten Hag made an assessment of Fernandez and was ultimately responsible for his exit. It really does not reflect well on Ten Hag that Real Madrid have swooped to sign the youngster.

It could be suggested that Fernandez wouldn't have been in that position to sign for Madrid unless he'd left United, but he spent just a year and a half with Benfica, which clearly weakens the argument.

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There is no denying Fernandez took strides forward with Benfica and benefited from regular game time, but it's not as if he spent four years in Portugal and became a completely new player.

Anyone who watched Fernandez in the academy and observed his loan at Preston could tell he was destined for bigger things. That's not to say anyone predicted he would sign for Madrid at 20 years old, but it was a mistake from Ten Hag not to give him a chance, especially when senior left-backs were injured.

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