Madrid signs one of the few antidotes that have worked with Lamine Yamal

BarcelonaFew full-backs can boast of having stopped Lamine Yamal in recent months. The young Barça winger has been a thorn in the side of defenders in both La Liga and the Champions League. Alphonso Davies (Bayern), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), and Federico Dimarco (Inter) have all finished their matches with dignity: a Galician named Álvaro Carreras, who has become Real Madrid's fourth signing for next season, behind Alexander-Arnold. Benfica has signed him for six seasons. He will sign his contract on Tuesday and be presented at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Carreras, 22, stopped Lamine Yamal during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 at the Estadio da Luz (0-1) and, above all, in the league phase against the Catalans (4-5 in favor of Hansi Flick's team). The full-back is suffocating under pressure and physically dominated the Barça winger. In the round of 16 match, he demonstrated great defensive solidity and showed off his 186 cm height. He was able to contain a more discreet Lamine Yamal than usual. Consequently, Flick replaced the Rocafonda native in the 56th minute, after two successful dribbles (out of two produced) and eight losses of possession, according to the specialized website Sofaescore. Meanwhile, in the group stage, Barça also faced Benfica in a thrilling match in which Carreras' runs, poorly monitored by Lamine Yamal, wreaked havoc on Szczesny's goal.

On that occasion, the Ferrol native, who spent part of his development in Madrid's youth academy, shone brightly. Carreras missed a third match against Barça, having been suspended for an accumulation of yellow cards, and was a notable absence for Benfica in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, in which Lamine Yamal scored one of his best goals of the season (3-1). His market value has therefore skyrocketed from 7 million in the summer to 35 million today.

The return to Real Madrid

Carreras has played for many teams despite his young age. He started out in the youth system at Deportivo de A Coruña as a junior. He later joined La Fábrica until the youth level, when Manchester United signed him. During his six seasons with United, he has had three consecutive loan spells: one long-term at Preston North End and two short-term ones at Granada and Benfica. Last summer, thanks to his outstanding performances, he became the property of the Lisbon side for 6 million. Twelve months later, he's worth almost nine times that amount. His rise has been meteoric.

After formalizing the incorporation of Xabi Alonso to the bench and other exciting signings, Madrid has strengthened its left-back position with Carreras, who will compete with Ferland Mendy and Fran García, a wing-back duo who have failed to defend Lamine Yamal in the four Clásicos this season.