Real Madrid sign Benfica defender Carreras in €50m move
Alvaro Carreras will compete to start at left-back for Real Madrid after his move back to the club.
Real Madrid have signed Benfica defender Álvaro Carreras on a six-year contract.
The left-back makes the move to the Santiago Bernabeu in a deal believed to be worth €50million.
His contract will run until June 30, 2031, with Carreras returning to the club he joined as a youth player in 2017.
Carreras left Madrid for Manchester United in 2020. He started his professional career with United in 2022 but never played a first-team game for the Red Devils, spending loan spells at Preston North End and Granada before a temporary move to Benfica in January 2024.
Benfica took up the option to make that deal permanent at the end of the 2023-24 season, signing him to a new contract until 2029.
Carreras started 52 games in 2024-25 as Benfica finished second to Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga and won the Taca da Liga, beating Sporting on penalties in the final.
The 22-year-old becomes Madrid’s fourth signing of the summer for the senior side, following Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Franco Mastantuono. Madrid also signed Rachad Fettal from Almeria, though he will link-up with Real Madrid Castilla.
Carreras can also play centre-back, but will likely compete with Ferland Mendy and Fran Garcia to start at left-back. Madrid also have David Alaba to play that position, but the Austrian continues to be hindered by injury issues.
Carreras’ presentation will take place on Tuesday at 1pm local time.