Former Manchester United scout Piotr Sadowski slammed the Red Devils for “giving up” on now thriving Real Madrid left back Álvaro Carreras.
Carreras is blossoming into one of the world’s elite full backs, becoming an untouchable in Xabi Alonso’s XI in his first season in Spain’s capital. However, his story could’ve been much different had Manchester United, the team where he spent four years, given him a real chance.
“Carreras arrived at Manchester United aged 16 in 2020,” Sadowski said, via . “He was a hard-working and ambitious kid, he learned the language quickly. I know this because I met him personally. Initially, his trajectory was very promissing.”
The Spaniard was named Denzil Haroun Reserve Team Player of the Year in 2021–22, the prize handed to Manchester United’s best Under-23 talent each season—previous winners have included Nicky Butt, Darren Fletcher and John O’Shea.
However, the arrival of manager Erik ten Hag signified the beginning of the end of Carreras’s time at Old Trafford. From the start of the 2022–23 season, he was sent on loan to Preston North End, Granada and Benfica, until the latter permanently signed him in the summer of 2024.
“United gave up on him and ended up selling him to Benfica for an insignificant amount,” Sadowski said. “He’s a world-class caliber player. There’s a high probability the he becomes the best, or one of the best, left backs in the world.
“It was a massive mistake from United to let him go. Something is wrong here, and I think that something is United’s lack of bravery to invest in young players.”
