Barça would be interested in Benfica's new 'jewel' to reinforce the left back

Despite having Alejandro Balde and Gerard Martín, two young promises to reinforce the left-back position, whose youth suggests they could wear the FC Barcelona shirt for many years, it is clear that these options do not seem to fully convince. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Barça team is exploring alternatives to strengthen that position and increase the 'bench' in that area.

In that sense, apparently, Barcelona is considering a young option who is currently taking his first steps in Portuguese football and standing out in one of the great clubs in that country, such as SL Benfica. The name that Barcelona is reportedly monitoring is none other than the left-back of the 'Eagles', Álvaro Carreras, a 21-year-old left-footed player.

From this point, as reported by the Portuguese media 'O Jogo', Álvaro Carreras is also attracting interest from renowned teams like Manchester United, Atlético Madrid, Juventus, and Real Madrid. In the current season, he has secured the starting position as left-back at SL Benfica, currently accumulating a total of 729 minutes of play, spread over a total of nine matches. This performance has also earned him the attention of Spain's U-21 national team.

What are Barcelona's chances of signing Álvaro Carreras?

Carreras, who arrived this summer at SL Benfica from Manchester United for a total investment of about €6M, apparently, as suggested by the newspaper 'SPORT', has been followed by Deco live on some occasions during his trips to Portugal. In this way, the Portuguese executive could provide good references about the player. He is a left-back who, although has a great room for improvement, currently shows great performances in terms of offensive projections and ball control, although he stands out for his educated left foot.

Now it remains to be seen if Barcelona ultimately decides to make a move for Álvaro Carreras. It is worth remembering that, for now, the Ferrol native has a contract with SL Benfica until 2029 and enjoys a €50M release clause. It will be important to see if the Catalan team can successfully compete against so many 'top' teams looking to secure the services of the left-back, and if they can match that amount. It is also possible that they negotiate a different selling price with the 'Eagles'.

If the left-back continues to display the same remarkable form he has shown with SL Benfica, it would not be surprising if his market value increases. According to the 'Transfermarkt' website, his current value is around eight million euros. However, in the event of a potential transfer, it is likely that the 'Eagles' will ask for much more for a player whose potential suggests he could be an excellent signing for any team that secures his services.