Atletico Madrid aiming to sign Manchester United target

Atletico Madrid plan to sign defenders this summer, and one of the possible arrivals could be someone that is taken away from Manchester United.

At the end of the season, Atleti are expected to part ways with Axel Witsel and Cesar Azpilicueta, both of whom are out of contract in June. And the same can also be said for Reinildo Mandava, whose future at the Metropolitano looks very bleak after losing his place at left-back to Javi Galan.

Reinildo is also projected to leave Atleti in the summer, and should he do so, a replacement will be needed as Galan would be the only natural left-back in Diego Simeone’s squad. Los Colchoneros appear to want to sign a new starter for the position, and they have set their sights on a top talent.

Alvaro Carreras has attracted interest from Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona over the course of the last few months, and now Atleti have joined the race, as revealed by O Jogo. They see the 22-year-old defender as one of their top targets for the summer transfer window, according to the report.

Carreras, who is reported to have a €42m release clause, has been a standout performer for Benfica over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, having signed for them last summer on a permanent basis from Man United, who retained a buy-back option from that agreement. And because of this, Atleti appear to have him as their favoured target to reinforce the left-back position.

There is no doubt that Carreras would be an excellent signing for Atletico Madrid, and he would be a significant upgrade on the options that Simeone already has at his disposal. However, it looks difficult for Benfica’s asking price to be met, especially as the club wants to strengthen in other areas too.