Ruben Amorim has introduced a unique style of play at Manchester United and it turns out some former players would have suited his system brilliantly.
Since his appointment at Old Trafford, Ruben Amorim has made it clear he will not change his style of play.
The biggest criticism of Erik ten Hag was that he failed to implement the attractive style of play he used at Ajax, and it ultimately led to him being sacked.
But during his reign at Manchester United, Ten Hag sanctioned the sale of some exciting players, and in particular, there will be huge regrets over the £5m sale of Alvaro Fernandez.
Fernandez has since signed for Real Madrid in a £43m move from Benfica, and the former Carrington star is quickly becoming a superstar in Spain.
Photo by Alvaro Medranda/Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesAlvaro Fernandez stars in new position for Real Madrid
During his time at Old Trafford, Alvaro Fernandez (also known as Carreras) failed to break into United’s first team.
However, since leaving he quickly became a mainstay in Benfica’s team and now he is becoming a superstar under Xabi Alonso in Madrid.
On Tuesday evening, Fernandez started as a left-sided centre-back for Madrid in a 3-4-2-1 system – the same used by Amorim at United.
Amorim wants wide centre-backs who are comfortable in possession and also able to attack out wide. Fernandez proved he is perfect for that role in his latest performance.
Álvaro Carreras for Real Madrid in La Liga this season:
🥇 Most touches (553)
🥇 Most passes in the final third (145)
🥇 Most ball recoveries (42)
🥇 Most possession won (26)
🥇 Most passes into the final third (15)
🥇 Most carries into the final third (15)
🥇 Most crosses (6)… pic.twitter.com/pv4lfoqBx9
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) September 24, 2025
View Tweet
Madrid were 4-1 winners over Levante and Fernandez put on a masterclass in defence.
As per SofaScore, Fernandez got a 7.4 rating for his 82-minute performance. His stats show just how impressive he was.
Alvaro Fernandez vs LevanteStatsMinutes played82Touches109Passes completed91% (83/91)Big chances created1Dribbles completed66% (2/3)Duels won50% (6/12)Defensive actions7Alvaro Fernandez statistics for Real Madrid vs Levante.
Fernandez has been attracting a lot of attention across Europe with his standout performances for Madrid, and the Spanish media were quick to pile praise on his latest performance.
Spanish outlet Sport summed Fernandez’s display up in one word “imperial”, and gave him an 8/10 rating which was only bettered by goalscorer Vini Jr.
They added: “The signing with the most direct impact on Real Madrid. Xabi Alonso already said that he could use him as a center back, because he had played that role previously.
READ MORE: Star that Ineos sold for £5m is now labelled a ‘phenomenon’ by Spanish press, ‘One of the best…’
“He was decisive in getting the ball out of Mastantuono’s goal. He saw a yellow in the action of Eyong’s goal, but it did not hinder him at all to dismantle any attempt by Levante.”
Mundo Deportivo also picked up on his position change and wrote: “The full-back played as a centre-back against Levante and the truth is that he had a good match.”