Álvaro Carreras, the player who returns to Real Madrid to "fulfill his dream": "I left as a boy and I'm coming back as a man."

He's not a youth player by birth, but three years (between 2017 and 2020) in Real Madrid have seen Álvaro Carreras (Ferrol, 2003) set foot in what was once his home since Tuesday. This brought tears to both him and his parents' eyes during the official presentation at Real Madrid City. "I left as a boy and I'm coming back as a man," the star player remarked.

That path isn't uncommon for other Blackbirds currently in the first team and who, on top of that, also play as defenders, such as Dani Carvajal , who served his senior year at Bayer Leverkusen, or Fran García , a rival in his own position who played three seasons at Rayo Vallecano. "All my friends are from the best club in the world and they couldn't believe it," he revealed with a smile about his return.

It's precisely the left flank that Real Madrid will be reinforcing, as they have, in addition to the aforementioned Fran García , Ferland Mendy, whose injuries make him a very inconsistent option. However, it's the only position in which Real Madrid has three similarly qualified options. "They're great players, but I'm here to focus on myself and continue making history," he explained.

This Tuesday, July 15th, Carreras saw the end of his soap opera when, after undergoing the necessary medical examination, he signed the contract that tied him to Real Madrid for the next six years. "I'm closing one door to open another," the footballer said.

The arrival of the Spaniard, one of the clear objectives for the Real Madrid board, became a headache in the Chamartín offices due to the tough negotiations between Benfica's directors. "It took a long time; there's a lot of talk in football, but I was focused on my former team," he recalled. The intention was that, like Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold , the Galician would sign so he could play in the Club World Cup with Real Madrid, but he ultimately remained with the Portuguese club until today.

The Galician defender, who signed for around 50 million euros, thus leaves the Portuguese club without Manchester United, the club that had an option to buy him for 18 million euros, having fulfilled it. "I don't base myself on that; I'm confident in who I am, what I can give. I don't get involved in numbers. Football moves that, but I'm calm," the player stated. It was precisely the Red Devils ' club that he left La Fábrica for, although he never played an official match with the first team and always played for the reserve team.

From Manchester, he was loaned to Preston North End, where he excelled in the Championship (the English Second Division); to Granada, where he only played 14 games and failed to find continuity; and finally to Benfica, who would end up signing him for six million euros in the summer of 2024 and with whom he would make it into the Portuguese league's starting XI. "I've been good in the Champions League, but also throughout the season," he added.

Madrid now sign a seasoned full-back, with 10 Champions League appearances in which he has faced players such as Lamine Yamal and Giuliano Simeone , whom he will see again in La Liga, and with the ability to play in a five-man or four-man defence, although he struggles to define himself. With great attacking skills, four goals and five assists last year, Carreras has been improving his defensive ability, positioning and ball release. Although these last two characteristics are more the responsibility of Xabi Alonso .

Carreras will wear the number 18, although "anyone would have worn it", the number vacated by Jesús Vallejo , who will play for Albacete Balompié next season, and which was also worn by, among others, Gareth Bale and Javier Saviola , another of the players who made the switch from Benfica to Real Madrid. Florentino Pérez spoke of a historic and friendly club when referring to the Portuguese and welcomed the player who comes to "build his dream" and "help us become better". "You decided to cross borders to become the player you want to be," he commented on the president.