Real Madrid are set present left-back Alvaro Carreras as their new signing on Tuesday, having reached a deal with Benfica. The 22-year-old former academy player has had an agreement on personal terms with the club for a number of weeks, and has been desperate to return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Carreras spent time at both La Fabrica and Atletico Madrid, before moving to Manchester United as a teenager. He would enjoy his breakout two seasons ago at Benfica though, after joining on loan from Old Trafford in January of 2023. Making that move permanent last summer, Carreras impressed both domestically, and in the Champions League.

Real Madrid finally get agreement over the line

Los Blancos have had a deal done with Carreras for some time, and originally had wanted to bring him in before the Club World Cup. Yet Benfica’s demands for his €50m release clause and Real Madrid’s unwillingness to meet it held up the deal.

The Portuguese side will get their €50m, but in instalments, and Castilla left-back Rafael Obrador will be going the other way. Cadena Cope say that he will be presented on Tuesday to the media.

Why Real Madrid went for Carreras

According to Cadena SER, Carreras became the consensus option for Los Blancos, with President Florentino Perez, General Manager Jose Angel Sanchez and manager Xabi Alonso all convinced that he was the right choice to strengthen position. Other alternatives, such as Alejandro Grimaldo, were cheaper, but Carreras’ experience playing with a back three and back four, age, and performances convinced Los Blancos to invest in him.

Will Real Madrid go into the market again?

Both outlets note that Real Madrid have no plans to bring in any further players in the transfer market. This is despite Alonso advocating for the addition of a central midfielder. It is a topic of intense debate in the Spanish capital, but it may require a major sale, the most likely being Rodrygo Goes, for the hierarchy to sanction a big move.