One week after Manchester United confirmed that Raphael Varane would not have his contract extended at Old Trafford, Benfica triggered the £5 million option-to-buy clause in Alvaro Fernandez as an anticipated summer exodus reached the next stage.
Fabrizio Romano reported, via his official X account on Thursday lunchtime, that Benfica had informed the Red Devils of their decision to sign the talented left-back on a permanent basis.
Alvaro Fernandez, who’s loan spell started slowly but ended impressively, agreed a five-year contract at the Estadio da Luz. Manchester United had the good sense, meanwhile, to include both a buy-back clause and a sell-on clause in the Spaniard’s Benfica contract.
As such, if Benfica sell Fernandez on for a sizeable sum in the future – and they are know to do things like that, Enzo Fernandez and Darwin Nunez among those who have made the Lisbon giants huge profits – Man United would be in line for a considerable windfall.
Another Manchesetr United youngster heads for the exit
Fernandez, meanwhile, continues a recent trend of Man United selling young players but ensuring that they retain the option to bring them back to Old Trafford in the future, an approach that has worked pretty well for the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid in recent seasons.
They can retain the services of now-Utrecht midfielder Zidane Iqbal later down the line should they wish. Ditto Bayer Leverkusen’s Bundesliga-winning goalkeeper Matej Kovar.
Somewhat surprisingly, however, there is no buy-back clause in the contract Isak Hansen-Aaroen signed with Werder Bremen during the January transfer window. The balletic Norwegian, one of the most hotly-tipped youngsters to emerge through Carrington in recent times, jumped at the chance to join the Bundesliga outfit after growing frustrated with the lack of first-team opportunities afforded to him by Ten Hag.
A spate of injuries and illness meant that Hansen-Aaroen didn’t exactly make an instant splash in German football, however. The 19-year-old featured only three times in Bremen colours, totalling 24 minutes of action.
But if his first outing of Werder’s off-season is anything to go by – Ole Werner’s side taking on BV Garrel on Wednesday and slapping them 8-0 – Hansen-Aaroen is a man determined to make up for lost time.
Teenager justifies Martin Odegaard comparisons
Coaches at Carrington will tell you that the former Tromso teenager has always possessed the raw technical ability to go very far in the professional game. Oscar Bobb, the Man City whizzkid who made quite the impression under Pep Guardiola in 2024, calls his compatriot an ‘incredibly good footballer‘.
Comparisons have been drawn, too, with Norway and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.
And the goal Hansen-Aaroen scored to put Werder 8-0 up on Wednesday was one Odegaard would have been proud of himself. Squaring up a defender inside the box, Hansen-Aaroen shifted the ball onto his left foot with a subtle shimmy and then dinked a gorgeous finish into the far corner.
It was, to quote Bild, the ‘highlight’ of the game. A ‘magical move met with great applause from his colleagues’
For the Werder supporters frustrated not to have seen more from Hansen-Aaroen in the second-half of 2023/24, this was a reminder of the ‘incredible talent’ Werner spoke glowingly of following his winter arrival.
Last season may have only just ended. But the new one cannot come soon enough for Isak Hansen-Aaroen.
