Secret detail of clause included in Alvaro Fernandez's transfer to Benfica from Man United revealed

Manchester United have until the 2026 summer transfer window to activate their buy-back option on Alvaro Fernandez.

Fernandez joined Benfica on loan with a view to a permanent transfer in the January transfer window and the Portuguese club triggered their option to buy him in May.

Benfica paid €6million plus €3m in potential add-ons to sign Fernandez and United inserted a hefty sell-on clause, along with a buy-back option, into the sale.

The Manchester Evening News can now confirm United's buy-back option on Fernandez, who has become a regular starter for Benfica this season, is up to the 2026 summer window. The 2026 deadline was not communicated when the sale was completed.

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United were happy with the clauses they negotiated in their sale of Fernandez and sources said in the summer they had built 'a lot of protections' in similar sales of players.

The club don't have to decide whether to trigger the buy-back clause for another 20 months but are aware of the progress he's made since joining Benfica.

The 21-year-old was Benfica's man of the match in their victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and has started in five of a possible seven league games.

Fernandez won United's Denzil Haroun Reserve-Team Player of the Year award in 2022 and spent the following season on loan with Preston in the Championship.

That spell was considered a resounding success due to the number of appearances Fernandez made, but he failed to convince Erik ten Hag.

Fernandez was sent on loan to Granada for the first half of the 2023/24 season and United signed Sergio Reguilon on a short-term deal due to