How Much Better Can We Get? - The Transfers, Rumors & Lies Thread

Álvaro Carreras está cerca de ser nuevo jugador del Real Madrid.

Se espera que el anuncio llegue en estos días. El acuerdo con el jugador es total, solo faltan pequeños detalles con Benfica.

Cómo avanza @SrNaninho, contrato hasta 2031. El salario que rondará los 8-9M brutos. pic.twitter.com/oPaBhDA9vR

— Eduardo Burgos (@edu17burgos) May 19, 2025

AS Journo:

Álvaro Carreras is close to becoming a new Real Madrid player.

The announcement is expected to come in the coming days. The agreement with the player is complete; only minor details remain with Benfica.

Contract until 2031. The salary will be around 8-9 million euros gross.

__________

Hope official announcement soon after Benfica's cup final on May 25th.

 

I’m really curious to see what the transfer price for Carreras is going to be. A salary of €9m gross isn’t low considering his position and the fact that no one else seems to be going for him apart from us.

Hope it all pans out well for us.

 

Some reports claim transfer fee in the range of 50 ME.

 

For a few million more Euros, Kerkez might have been a better target for us, but it seems like Liverpool were doing their homework on him before we were.

Is Carreras a specific request from Xabi? I think I read some reports saying so.

 

Any evidence he was benched for being lazy or are we going to repeat a lie a thousand times until it becomes the truth? We are going to push the lie that a prime 27 year old Theo is the same as fat old Marcelo at Madrid? Because some bum like Fonseca benched him one game? And we will ignore the title he was key in winning? Or the fact that hes a key player for the most talented NT in the world?

Ironic that in the one position where we need to go for pure ability instead of fit, we are doing the opposite, and for the positions where we need fit not quality in a vacuum, we go for the latter and ruin the balance. Seems that at this point we are set for Carreras, hopefully he delivers but we could do much better (Kerkez included). Especially for the rumored fee. Basically double than Theo. Incredible really

What does it matter, its clear were getting Carreras and we already got our CB. Hato is a left footed Timber, its a shame we are not interested because he could replace Alaba in this team, and he would be a great complement to Huijsen.

 

I’m not a fan of this transfer at that price, of course hopefully he turns out to be amazing but I’m not seeing a €50m in him. We’ll find out I guess.

 

Especially when it comes to signing players who are likely to be starters, an extra €20m/30m should never be an obstacle for an elite club between signing a good player or a better one.

Not saying Kerkez would cost €20m/€30m more but the incremental increase shouldn’t be stopping us.

 

Have to factor in the fact that everyone knows we're desperate for full backs. Kerkez will probably be even more expensive.

We're lucky we got Trent the way it happened.

With this squad planning, we could have had to buy 2 starting fullbacks in one window. We easily would have had to drop +100m

 

Price and salary are outrageous but hey it is what it is, id rather we tackle our weaknesses then not buying anyone.

This proves that there is "no worthy option" on the market was pure nonsense as most of us suspected and called out.

 

No one called Marcelo fat and old at RM in 2018 either. He became washed in 2018-19 all of a sudden at 29. Theo getting benched is coaches fault, his dumb red card (never was a high IQ player) that cost Milan CL qualification and performances not close to 2020-24 suggest he's in his prime? Knowing his lifestyle and red flags this season, I expect him to go Marcelo & Isco 2018-22 route in his late 20s. Let's see.

 

Kerkez expected to cost 50 ME range like Carreras apparently.

Most obvious peak Robertson 2.0 with better ball manipulation but worse crossing. The price is important though, that £45m rumoured fee is too much for what he is

— Raj Chohan (@rajsinghchohan) May 19, 2025

 

I mean Mendy got a renewal last season and general consensus was that he had a very good season defensively in 2023-24. Did anyone here say sell Mendy last summer and sign a new LB available in the market?

 

His lifestyle?

Arguing that its a good decision to buy the unproven player over the worldclass player for twice the money because the latter got a red card at some point is some next level shit.

Theo is top 5 leftbacks in the world without a shadow of a doubt (and I'm being conservative with that, I'd say hes top 3). Hes in the Alphonso Davies class. And this is our worst position at the moment, meanwhile he is available on the cheap and we are like nah, he got a red card last season and also that one time he was benched, oh and by the way he was immature ten years ago when he was here at the ripe age of 19, so in conclusion, lets get the unknown quantity Man Utd reject for double the money. Yes I am pretty upset tbh.

 

I am arguing he's declining while entering late 20s like Marcelo, Isco, supremely talented Dinho due to lifestyle issues and will be a liablility on 5 year contract from age 27-32. You can call me out if Theo returns back to his prime in upcoming seasons. Only time will tell. And yea, he was never the smartest cookie so that dumb red card in a big CL game wasn't surprising.

You or someone else called him world champion in a previous post. I didn't check France 2018 WC squad list, but doubt he was called up after flop 2017-18 season with RM let alone make some contribution. 2019-20 loan at Real Sociedad wasn't good either. Looks like he got his senior debut at in 2021 for France.

 

Carreras was at RM for 3 years. He's not an unknown quantity for them. They must know how he's off the field too. Juve and Roma bet against Huijsen's talent last summer and we paid 58 ME for him. Seems like Man Utd reject tag isn't a concern for RM regarding Carreras as well. We know what we are getting with TAA, but other two signings are wait and see scenario at RM level.

 

Myself and @boeder did

 

Don't forget when they let Pogba leave for free then signed him for a world-record 105 ME.

 

@boeder was against renewal and wait till 2025 to decide on it iirc rather than sell and buy someone else last summer.

 

That was ages ago. Since then he became a top 5 leftback. I will keep repeating this. We are buying what, a top 50 one? For double the money? In the position we are currently the weakest? Ridiculous all around.

I don't know what are these lifestyle issues Saeta Rubia talks about. Theo is one of the fittest and most durable guys out there. He hasn't played less than 32 games in six seasons for Milan. Just ridiculous arguments all around to somehow justify "the club knows best" mantra again.

 

Forlan had a fanatastic career after Utd gave up on him. Rossi was a fun player at Villarreal until 2011 ACL injury as well.

 

You have derailed my week with your nonsensical bs.

 

No. Club should go for your money ball approach or other ideas like selling Vini when his talent was obvious. Which good to great talent struggled in early to mid 20s due to lifestyle anyways? Hazard, Dinho, Marcelo, Isco all did great at that age. Milan had the best version of Theo. Decline signs are there and let someone else offer him high wages contract from age 27-32.