Real Madrid will not be paying top target’s full €50 million release clause as deal inches closer | OneFootball

As reported on Tuesday, Real Madrid and Benfica are making headway in closing the transfer operation involving Alvaro Carreras that has proven far more complex than initially anticipated.

At several points, the deal seemed unworkable due to Benfica’s firm stance of wanting Real Madrid to pay the player’s full €50 million release clause, particularly in the days leading up to the FIFA Club World Cup.

However, the operation is finally moving towards a resolution, with the transfer now on track to being completed once the Club World Cup is over.

Deal not for €50 million

According to MARCA, the transfer will not involve Real Madrid making the full payment of Carreras’ €50 million release clause.

Benfica have come to understand that they needed to negotiate, given the player’s clear desire to return to his former club.

Even if the deal is ultimately closed at €40 million, the Portuguese club will still multiply the eight million they paid last summer, and Manchester United will also receive compensation.

Efforts have been ongoing from Real Madrid’s end, from their base camp in the USA, to push the deal forward. While an agreement is close, it is not yet final.

Getting closer. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

There is no signed deal between Benfica and Real Madrid, and as two involved parties told MARCA, nothing can be confirmed until the operation is fully closed, signed, and processed.

Real Madrid maintain that everything that could be done remotely has already been completed, but the final in-person meetings are still required. The club is confident the framework of the agreement is in place.

Several players have been involved in the talks, but the breakthrough came when Benfica showed interest in Rafael Obrador.

Benfica view the 21-year-old as a prospect who could increase significantly in value over time and possibly be involved in a future transfer.

The €5 million deal for Obrador, for whom Real Madrid will retain a buy-back option, and the determination of the club not to let Carreras slip away are the key elements driving this deal towards completion.

Contrary to popular belief, the two operations – Carreras and Obrador – will be handled independently and not as a single player-plus-cash deal.