Álvaro Carreras is the latest player to be linked with Real Madrid.
The 22-year-old Spaniard currently plies his trade with SL Benfica.
However, he’s reportedly being lined up to join Xabi Alonso at the Bernabeu this summer.
The youngster came through the Manchester United Academy and played on loan at Preston North End and Granada before finding himself in Portugal.
Now, Real Madrid are set to pay just under £50m to buy out his release clause in the hope that he will fill the void left behind by the legendary Marcelo.
He looks to be joining Trent Alexander-Arnold and Dean Huijsen as defensive summer arrivals following the club’s highly disappointing trophyless season.
In this player analysis, we will examine Carreras style of play and consider why the world’s biggest clubs are vying for his signature.
We will also contemplate how he may suit Los Blancos and fit into Xabi Alonso tactics and structure.
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Álvaro Carreras Player Profile
Álvaro Carreras is a left-footed defender who can play either as a wing-back or as a more traditional full-back.
He currently operates as a typical left-back, playing in the 4-3-3 system manager Bruno Lage prefers.
Carreras weighs 78kg and stands at 6 feet 1 inch in height.
He is an all-around full-back who is accomplished at both ends of the pitch.
In terms of profile, he bears a slight resemblance to former Chelsea favourite Marcos Alonso, although his ceiling is undoubtedly higher.
Both are progressive on the ball and look to make things happen, and they share similar physical builds.
Álvaro Carreras Stats 2024/2025
The pizza chart above breaks down Álvaro Carreras’s profile, showing where he excels at present with As Águias compared to other left-backs from leagues of a similar level to the Portuguese top-flight, and where he may have room for growth.
Álvaro Carreras Strengths
Álvaro Carreras Athleticism
Álvaro Carreras possesses awe-inspiring athleticism, which supports his current role at Benfica very well.
6 foot 1 is certainly above average for a modern left-back, but it provides him with attributes that his positional counterparts do not have.
Firstly, Carreras uses his height and strength well to compete in duels.
His satisfactory aerial success rate of 58.5% puts him in the 83.4th percentile for his position among left-backs in similar leagues.
On top of this, Carreras physical build means he is relatively fast, particularly over large distances.
He possesses a fairly impressive burst of pace in smaller zones, but most recognisably, he has the capability to cover large areas with ease.
This speed helps him a lot in defence, as he can comfortably keep up with opposition wingers, making it much more challenging for him to dribble past.
His long legs also give him a bigger reach, which helps him win ground duels and make last-ditch tackles, similar to what Aaron Wan-Bissaka does in the Premier League.
These capacities naturally improve his ability to be reactive, as seen below for Granada.
Here, he has pushed forward, and the opposition winger has gained ten yards.
In this scenario, most defenders would struggle, but Carreras uses his agility and pace to track back quickly.
By the time the winger has entered a dangerous zone, Carreras has caught up and eliminated any major threat.
Álvaro Carreras Ball Carrying
Álvaro Carreras’ combination of technical security and great athleticism makes him a highly productive ball carrier.
Benfica plays with a relatively narrow midfield trio, which regularly leaves space down the flanks for him to run into and exploit.
His burst of pace and ability to maintain speed allow him to enter these zones unchallenged, which helps Benfica progress up the pitch.
Carreras averages 2.85 progressive carries per 90 and 2.03 carries into the final third, which are numbers usually expected of wingers or attacking midfielders.
Below, Carreras can be seen receiving the ball deep in the UEFA Champions League against AS Monaco.
Once he spots a free zone in front of him, he is eager to attack and successfully transitions his side from the halfway line into the final third.
However, he is not limited to these big zones.
His close-space technical security and ball retention skills enable him to also operate in tighter, more central areas.
In the modern game, many managers ask their full-backs to invert, making this skill set a valuable asset.
This gives him flexibility, which could be crucial to Alonso as he looks to alter shape and change tactics mid-game to outwit the opposition.
Álvaro Carreras Ball-Playing Ability
Álvaro Carreras is a typical Spanish player on the ball.
Technically, he is extremely comfortable and thrives in possession.
He is not a Jürgen Klopp-style full-back who bombs down the line and crosses persistently.
Instead, his passing offers his team security and progression.
His decision-making with his passes is very efficient, and he contributes to the development of attacks without recklessly conceding possession throughout the games.
His statistics support this: Carreras has a passing accuracy of 81% and attempts an average of 67 passes per 90 minutes.
Even more impressively, he makes 6.63 progressive passes and 5.87 passes into the final third per 90.
As of right now, he is definitely more of a progressor in the first and middle phases rather than a final third killer.
However, despite only managing four assists, he has created 33 chances this season—only two Benfica players have more.
This highlights a potential for these output statistics to increase under a different system, as he definitely has the technical capabilities.
Madrid fans will be excited to hear that Carreras assisted two goals in this season’s high-scoring UEFA Champions League game against FC Barcelona.
Both of these came from intricate, accurate crosses into a specific target.
Should he hone in on this ability, we will no doubt see him as a bigger threat in attack over the next few seasons.
It may just need a coach to unlock the required instincts for him to continue being more impactful, and Alonso certainly seems a good person to take on this responsibility.
Álvaro Carreras Defensive Attributes
Álvaro Carreras is not only brilliant in possession but is also an exceptional defender.
Carreras adopts an aggressive approach to his defensive play, often being proactive in seeking recovery rather than waiting for the attackers to let him in.
If any chance is given, he looks to push forward and press the opposition and is eager to compete for the ball.
He has a gift for timing his tackles correctly and tends to make the right decision on when to dive in and when to hold off, pushing the attacker backwards.
In the 2024/2025 Primera Liga season, Carreras made 3.12 interceptions per 90 and averaged 7.43 recoveries in the opposition half alone.
All of these attributes and statistics suggest he is suited to a possession-based team that seeks fast recoveries rather than being risk-averse.
This should suit Alonso, who has already spoken of his desire to be proactive.
While his stats come from a league inferior to the other top divisions, it’s essential to recognise that Carreras has faced great right-wingers and held his own.
He has battled Lamine Yamal twice this season, and although his team has come out on the losing side, he has restricted him to very few chances and prevented him from scoring a goal in either fixture.
Álvaro Carreras Real Madrid Role Under Xabi Alonso 2025/2026
Xabi Alonso prefers a 3-4-2-1 system, which gives the two ’10’s behind the striker a lot of positional freedom.
This system requires a lot of the wing-backs, as they are expected to cover the mass of space down the flanks in both the attacking and defensive phases.
His approach is control-based, but is still very transitional.
He looks to quickly transition into direct, fluid attacks upon turnovers, particularly in dangerous zones.
Regarding Álvaro Carreras, it must be recognised that Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen emphasised using their wing-backs as a creative outlet, which is likely to remain the case at Real Madrid.
For reference, Alejandro Grimaldo has recorded an astonishing 16 goals and 29 assists over the last two seasons, and Jeremie Frimpong beat this with 19 goals and 29 assists.
Should any move progress, Carreras is likely to fill this role.
As a result, we will see a lot more of the attacking side of the full-backs’ game than we currently do.
As shown below, Alonso asks his full-backs to take risks in possession and move into dangerous areas within the final third.
Here, Die Werkself‘s wing-back plays a simple pass inside, and his first thought is to continue the run forward and seek a return ball behind the defence.
This move ends in a goal that is very befitting of Alonso’s approach and what he seeks from his wide outlets.
This setup could suit his game exceptionally and may be a relatively natural transition.
One of his biggest strengths is his ability to cover large spaces both with and without the ball.
This is the role’s biggest demand and one he should comfortably meet.
Another element of the role is obviously technically demanding, as he would be asked to contribute heavily to attacks.
Again, this could suit him.
Carreras possesses all the creative skills needed and arguably just requires final third experience.
He also needs access to the main attacking zones to tap into his abilities and transfer his skills into output.
Concerns
When discussing the many attributes of Álvaro Carreras, as we have above, it is hard to imagine a world where he doesn’t succeed at the top level of the game.
Nevertheless, a move to Real Madrid is a huge step, and there should be minor concerns.
Unsurprisingly, at just 22 years of age, he is still inexperienced.
This could work in his favour or against him.
Madrid are a club unlike any other in terms of stature and size, and how he holds up under the expectation and pressure is yet to be seen.
Many have faltered, whereas many have also thrived.
Jude Bellingham, for example, has become another beast since the heightened expectations of the Galacticos’ support was placed on his shoulders.
Another concern is his attacking output.
Carreras is technically very impressive and a weapon at developing attacks, but the figures expected of Alonso’s wing-backs are unique and demanding.
He has demonstrated his ability to rise to this challenge, with eight goal contributions so far this season.
Still, it will be interesting to see whether he can improve upon these statistics and fill the Grimaldo void in the new manager’s system.
On paper, Carreras to Madrid has all the makings of a top-class deal for both parties.
Not only does Carreras possess all the necessary talent, but stylistically, he seems a great fit.
He is also relocating to his home country under a manager from his Nation, which can only ease the transition even further.
It will be fascinating to see how he deals with the increased visibility and pressure of playing for the world’s biggest club, but for now, the transfer should be viewed with optimism and excitement by all involved.
