Manchester United could trigger a player’s buy-back clause reportedly worth just £16.7m, which could see him return to the club just months after he left the Red Devils.

United currently sit 13^th in the Premier League after a dismal first half of the 2024/25 campaign.

And since Ruben Amorim took over in November, they have been in relatively poor form aside from the 2-1 away win against Manchester City in December and last Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield.

But fans will be hoping Amorim, 39, can put his own stamp on United’s squad now that the winter transfer window is open.

However, the club are expected to adopt a ‘sell to buy’ policy in order to fall in line with PSR and financial regulations.

Academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo have both been linked with a potential move away from the club with sales of homegrown players representing ‘pure profit’ from a PSR standpoint.

But it is a former United academy star who could make a shock return to the club.

Left-back Alvaro Fernandez joined the club from Real Madrid’s academy in September 2020.

He began training with the first team in 2021/22 as well as turning out for the Under-23 side.

Fernandez, 21, was called up to the senior squad by Ralf Rangnick in April 2022 for a Premier League fixture against Chelsea.

A month later, he was named the club’s U23 Player of the Year. For the majority of the 2022/23 season, he was loaned to Preston North End before loans at Granada and Benfica followed in the 2023/24 season.

And it was at the Lisbon-based club where he found form, so much so that he penned a permanent deal at the Estadio da Luz in May 2024.

Alvaro Fernandez could return to Man United (Credit:Getty)

This season he has gone from strength to strength making 26 appearances in all competitions with a return of three goals and two assists.

The Spaniard left United for a reported £5m fee but could return due to a buy-back clause in his contract worth around £16m according to the Express.

Centre Devils report that the buy-back clause is £16.7m.

A deal would arguably make sense, given the fact Luke Shaw has struggled with injuries in recent seasons.

While Diogo Dalot, who regularly starts as a left wing-back, is more suited to the right flank.

Fernandez previously voiced how he was keen to “return to United” in an interview with The Athletic while on loan at Granada in December 2023.

“What message did United give me?” said Fernandez.

“That I should go out on loan, that Ten Hag didn’t count on me, that I should continue to gain experience, rhythm, and we’ll see what happens in the future.

“But it’s clear that football doesn’t end at any club and that you have to keep working. My main objective is to return to United and make a place for myself there.”

Fernandez’s Benfica contract is set to run until June 2029 and he is valued at £15m by Transfermarkt.

Manchester United could be handed a surprise lifeline from none other than their former boss Erik ten Hag.

Ten Hag was sacked in October after a dire run of form, with an away defeat to West Ham the final straw for the Dutchman.

At the time United were in 14th position when Ten Hag was given the boot but things have not improved under Ruben Amorim as they remain lurched in the bottom half of the table and have won just two games out of their last 10 in the Premier League.

Despite their struggles – and worrying admissions from Amorim that this is “the worst United team in history”, the Red Devils do not look likely to complete much notable business in the January transfer window in terms of incomings.

But they could be boosted by news that former manager Ten Hag could be returning to work. According to Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany, Ten Hag is one of the names in contention if Borussia Dortmund decide to sack Nuri Sahin.

Erik ten Hag could be back in management very soon. Image: Getty

Dortmund are down in tenth in the Bundesliga with as many losses as wins in the league, with former player Sahin under pressure.

The club have many candidates on their shortlist but Ten Hag, who managed Bayern Munich’s second team for two years, very much “remains” in the mix according to the latest information.

Ten Hag was in the stands at Signal Iduna Park for the 3-2 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen just over a week ago and has a close relationship with Dortmund advisor Matthias Sammer.

He would want a longer contract as opposed to coming in for six months and if he was to take the Dortmund job, Ten Hag would need to settle his severance package with United.

The 54-year-old was relieved of his duties just months after signing a new one-year extension at Old Trafford and The Athletic reported that his severance package could be as much as £16 million.

At the time, the report stated: “Ten Hag had 21 months remaining on his extended United deal and it has been widely reported previously that the 54-year-old earned £9 million ($11.9m) a year, a sum trimmed by the club’s failure to qualify for the Champions League this season.”

If he was to make an imminent return to management, it would appear as though Ten Hag would not be entitled to the full amount.

Ten Hag finished his stint at United with a 55% win percentage, lifting both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his tenure.

Ruben Amorim is just over two months into his reign as head coach of Manchester United but he has yet to sign a player – so we’ve simulated his first summer transfer window.

Amorim, 39, took charge of United in November after a successful tenure as manager of Sporting CP in his native Portugal.

However, things have not gone exactly as he would have liked with his side currently sitting in 13^th place in the Premier League.

But in recent weeks, his team’s performances have improved. In the 2-2 Premier League draw against Liverpool at Anfield on January 5^th they were arguably unlucky to come away with just a point.

On Sunday, against Arsenal in the FA Cup penalty shootout win, they put in a dogged, determined performance playing much of the game with 10 men after Diogo Dalot was sent off on 61 minutes.

However, if United are to improve in the long term they will no doubt need to add to their squad.

But this may prove difficult in January, with the MEN’s Samuel Luckhurst reporting that the club will need to “sell to buy” in the winter window to fall in line with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

This is partly down to the £206.06m summer spend, which saw Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte and Leny Yoro welcomed to the club by then-manager Erik ten Hag.

In December, Amorim admitted that United would be unlikely to sign players in the winter window.

“We don’t have that possibility in January if we don’t take some players [out],” said Amorim.

“You know the situation better than me.

“It is not that I am arriving here and know I can spend money changing the team.”

However, with academy graduates Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both linked with potential a move away from the club, sales could provide funds for potential transfer dealings in January or in the summer, with the exits of such players representing ‘pure profit’ from a PSR standpoint.

Man Utd’s potential summer signing

Several players could arrive in the summer window if our simulation is anything to go by.

Manchester United’s simulated summer transfer window (Credit:Football Manager)

It explained how Brighton forward Evan Ferguson, Villarreal youngster Ilias Akhomach, and 17-year-old Stabaek midfielder could arrive at the club.

These transfers would all fit within United’s ’26-or-under age policy’ they adopted with signings last summer.

Meanwhile, the simulation predicts that Jadon Sancho will pen a permanent deal worth £25m at Chelsea, where he is currently on loan.

With Antony being sold to Premier League rivals Everton for a fee of just £4.8m despite signing from Ajax for a reported £82m in the summer of 2022.