Real Madrid Hand Alvaro Carreras Shirt Number With Troubled Past | OneFootball

Real Madrid handed new signing Álvaro Carreras the club’s No. 18 shirt at his official unveiling at the Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday.

Carreras joined from Benfica at the weekend in a deal worth €50 million ($58.3 million), having wanted the left back before the FIFA Club World Cup but settling for after.

The 22-year-old, who was trained by the club’s academy until leaving for Manchester United at the age of 17, marks the further overhaul of the defense Xabi Alonso will be working with this season and beyond—after existing captures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen.

Carreras started his ‘presentation day’ in Madrid by completing a routine medical at Valdebebas, before meeting with Los Blancos president Florentino Pérez in the Bernabéu’s trophy room. After posing for a picture holding up his new No. 18 shirt, the contract was officially signed.

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Carreras previously wore No. 3 during his 18 months with Benfica, playing in No. 33, No. 42, No. 2 and No. 74 at various other points in his career to date.

Although it belonged to Aurélien Tchouaméni during his first two seasons with the club, No. 18 hasn’t often been associated with success at Real Madrid. Its most recent occupant was Jesús Vallejo, while Gareth Bale wore it in his final year, and Luka Jović had it before that. Julien Faubert, Jonathan Woodgate, Antonio Cassano, Javier Saviola and Mariano Díaz are other former wearers.

The number does not appear to have any significance to Carreras who, when asked why he had chosen the No. 18, simply responded: “I’ll wear any number to play for this club.”

Even if Huijsen has an early battle for a starting place and Alexander-Arnold is faced with permanently ousting Dani Carvajal, Carreras could quickly become Madrid’s starting left back over Ferland Mendy. The often-injured Frenchman made only 12 La Liga starts in 2024–25 and missed the Club World Cup.