Sir Jim Ratcliffe starts ruthless squad cull, confirming first Man Utd exit
A deal for Carreras to leave Manchester United and join Benfica on a permanent basis has been confirmed by Portuguese publication Record. The 21-year-old, who joined United’s academy ranks from Real Madrid in September 2020, impressed at the Under-21 and Under-23 levels, but failed to make a senior appearance for the club. Instead, he had loan spells at Preston and Granada before heading to Benfica in January with a temporary deal that included a clause for a permanent transfer at the end of the season for a fee of £5.1million.
Despite not being a regular starter for United, the club has decided to pay the required fee for the left-back, who played a pivotal role in the recent match against Braga. This decision comes as United faces the possibility of not qualifying for the Champions League this season and the need to make sales this summer. United is also preparing for an FA Cup final against Manchester City, but the outcome of the final is not expected to impact the club’s long-term plans.
INEOS chief Jim Ratcliffe has expressed his ambition to challenge top clubs like City in the Premier League, and a summer overhaul is seen as the first step in this long-term project. The future of manager Erik ten Hag and his involvement in the club’s transfer activities remain uncertain. Ratcliffe has notably refrained from publicly endorsing Ten Hag, leaving the manager to handle questions about his future from the media.
