Benfica trigger Alvaro Fernandez buy option with Manchester United holding three clauses | OneFootball

The loan army of Manchester United this season has been a bright spot in a wretched season at Old Trafford.

The likes of Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood, and Alvaro Fernandez, to name a few, have rehabilitated their value ahead of a pivotal summer window.

While Sancho and Greenwood figure to be the protagonists of a summer saga, a straightforward deal for Fernandez has been completed.

After greatly impressing at the Portuguese club, Fabrizio Romano reports that Benfica have triggered the option to buy the left-back.

Benfica could buy the player for €6 million at the end of his loan spell as a part of the agreement which they have taken up.

United will hold all three clauses that give them ultimate control over the player’s future still- buy-back clause, matching rights, and sell-on clause.

It means that there is a set amount United can buy the player back from Benfica for and even if that expires, they will have the right to match an offer for him made by another club.

Furthermore, if they wish to do neither, they will still stand to benefit from any future sale of Fernandez to another club.

It is a positive departure from the kind of deals United used to make for their youngster who didn’t make the grade.

Di’Shon Bernard, for example, came back from a successful loan spell in the Championship and was back to playing U21s football, effectively erasing his value.

Having said that, there will still be an element of “what if” attached to this sale, especially with the benefit of hindsight.

United have effectively played the whole season without a natural left-back available so the presence of Fernandez would have maybe given birth to another success story for the academy.

However, there is no point looking back as the deal that has ultimately been done still gives United a lot of power and helps avoiding a Paul Pogba like situation.

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