Real Madrid want Man Utd transfer that would BREAK FIFA rules

Tom Weber

Updated: 3 May 2025 11:07 CDT
4 min read

Real Madrid's plan to sign Benfica left-back Alvaro Carreras via Manchester United would breach FIFA's transfer rules, according to Portuguese media.

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On Friday, a sensational report from Spain claimed that Real Madrid had hatched a plan to sign Carreras in the summer. The Spaniard has been hugely impressive at Benfica since joining last year, and this means that the Portuguese giants are reluctant to sell him.

Current ETV

Álvaro Carreras

D (L)

Benfica

Álvaro Carreras

D (L)

Benfica

ETV Range

€30M - €36.7M

It was asserted that the Lisbon outfit had slapped a whopping €60 million price tag on his head to ward off the interest from Los Blancos, who are not willing to go that high for the 22-year-old.

Instead, Real Madrid wanted to employ the help of Carreras' former club Man Utd, who have an €18m buy-back clause. The report asserted that the LaLiga giants would ask Man Utd to exercise this clause this summer and then offer €35m to sign him from the Red Devils rather than Benfica.

However, Portuguese outlet O Jogo now states that such a transfer is pretty much impossible due to FIFA's transfer rules.

Real Madrid interest confirmed - but 'bridge transfer' impossible

The publication cites FIFA's rulebook, which stipulates that such so-called 'bridge transfers' are impossible as it is prohibited to complete “two consecutive transfers, national or international, of the same player in a period of 16 weeks.”

Breaching this rule would entail 'sanctions' for all involved. Additionally, Record reports that there are 'indications' that suggest that Carreras will stay at Benfica beyond this season and that the club actually want to hand him an improved contract.

However, there is nevertheless concrete interest from Spain, with head coach Bruno Lage confirming that Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid are keen on the 22-year-old.

"When I arrived here [in September 2024], Carreras was a flop and today Real Madrid and Atletico are interested," Lage claimed. "I would go as far as to say that he is the player we use most.

"He is important to our dynamics, and I am very happy to have him. I only say he was a flop because that's what I read."

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