When a player decides to leave Manchester United, there’s always a genuine air of mystery around the decision. Fans are undoubtedly divided between hoping the player stays and wishing him well.

The Red Devils will undoubtedly regret let Angel Gomes escape their control in 2020. The Englishman left on a free agent after seeing little action under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and making just ten first-team appearances across all competitions.

After replacing Wayne Rooney at the age of just 16 and 263 days in 2017, Gomes became the youngest player to play for the first team since Duncan Edwards. He went on to thrive in France at Ligue 1 side Lille, after spending time in Portugal, and was finally called up for his first senior England call-up last month.

The 24-year-old’s deep-lying midfield position produced eight assists and 15 “big chances” during the previous league season. Rumor has it that United is one of the teams considering a summer move for the small playmaker.

With less than a year left on his current contract, the 5′ 6″ sensation is sure to have plenty of admirers. The Red Devils are reportedly planning a potential Paul Pogba comeback in an attempt to reclaim an asset they previously let go for nothing.

Man, Paul-Pogba, United, France
The former Boavista loanee might not be the only player INEOS looks to bring back to Old Trafford, though, as another developing talent might soon be deserving of a second opportunity.

Man United has the opportunity to make amends.

Talented kids like Pogba and Gomes may need to leave the United bubble in order to succeed since it will give them the opportunity to play regularly away from the intense scrutiny that comes with living in Manchester.

Although there’s no harm in picking those talents up once they’ve proven themselves elsewhere, the team will probably be keeping a close eye on players like Hannibal Mejbri and Willy Kambwala in the upcoming years—both of whom have buyback clauses in the contracts that took them to Burnley and Villarreal, respectively.

Erik, Ten, Hag, Willy, and Kambwala
The same might be said for a certain Alvaro Fernandez, the talented Spaniard who joined Benfica on a £5 million original contract this summer following a six-month loan period; the deal includes a buyback (as well as a sell-on clause)

The tall left-back, who arrived from Real Madrid in the summer of 2020 as part of a trio of Spanish recruits that also included Marc Jurado (Barcelona) and Alejandro Garnacho (Atletico Madrid), left the club after failing to make an appearance in the first squad.

álvaro Fernández, United Manchester
Although Jurado and Fernandez have faded from view despite a promising start in Portugal, a return to United in the near future might assist ease the team’s left-back problems. Garnacho has now gone on to shine.

Beginnings for Alvaro Fernandez at Benfica

Talent scout Jacek Kulig described the young player as a “quality” player with a “amazing engine” during his time in United’s development divisions, where he made 47 appearances for the U21 team, contributing 14 goals and assists. The kid particularly stood out during the 2022–2023 season while on loan at Preston North End.

After being praised as “immaculate” by then-head coach Ryan Lowe, Fernandez demonstrated his offensive ability during his time at Deepdale by recording six assists in 42 games across all competitions.

The Premier League has united Alvaro Fernandez Man.
The expectation was that Fernandez would make the first team, especially after Tyrell Malacia missed the entire previous season due to injury and Luke Shaw also had his share of time off.

Even though Sergio Reguilon’s loan was terminated in January, he was ultimately sent on loan to Granada for the first half of the season before joining his current team on a temporary initial contract during the winter window.

Once more, United must begin the new season without a designated left-back, although the Spaniard has excelled in Lisbon, averaging 1.8 crucial passes per game from his six Liga Portugal appearances in 2024–2025. In the Premier League, only Amad Diallo (2.4) has outperformed that return for the players who are returning to United.

Additionally, he made an impression last week when he made his maiden Champions League start against FK Crvena zvezda. In that 2-1 victory, he completed three of his five crosses and made three crucial passes from his defensive position.

Any pass that results in a direct shot on goal for the opposition is considered a key pass.

The Spain U21 international is still somewhat raw, but with Harry Amass still only 17 and Erik ten Hag’s team sorely lacking in that left-sided department, he very well could have been a valuable addition to the Red Devils roster this year.

Fortunately, even though the team let him get away, the buyback provision guarantees that they will have first choice when it comes to re-signing the 6-foot-1 star, giving Ten Hag and company the opportunity to make up for their error.

Man Utd’s 24 summer departures

Participant

fresh club

Cost

McTominay, Scott

Napoli

£25 million

Masonry Greenwood

Marseille

£26.6 million

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

West Ham

£15 million

Willy Kambwala

Villarreal

£4.6 million

The Hannibal

Burnley

£5.4 million

Facundo Pellistri

Panathinaikos

£6.8 million

Alvaro Fernandez

Benfica

£5 million

Van de Beek Donny

Girona

£500,000

Rafael Varane

As well

No cost

Forson, Omari

Monza

No cost

Jadon Sancho

Chelsea

first loan

Anthony Martial

Athens AEK

No cost

Williams, Brandon

Unrestricted agent

Not at all

Through Transfermarkt and other sources for costs

Maybe he and Gomes will be lined up in a United uniform once more soon.