Carreras has taken a winding route via Manchester United, the Championship and Benfica to get back to the Spanish capital

Real Madrid have signed Spanish defender Alvaro Carreras from Benfica. The 22-year-old has joined the Spanish club in a deal which is reported to be worth £43m, external and has signed a six-year contract.

Real Madrid have signed Benfica left-back Álvaro Carreras, the Spanish club announced on Monday. Carreras, 22, spent three years at Madrid's academy before moving to Manchester United in 2020. The defender is Madrid's latest defensive recruit -- the club already confirmed the arrival of centre-back Dean Huijsen and right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold -- as they look to build a new-look back line ahead of this summer's Club World Cup in which they lost in the semifinal to Paris Saint-Germain.