ALVARO CARRERAS has put his Manchester United nightmare behind him with a stunning £43million move to Real Madrid.
The Spanish left-back, 22, is on the brink of rejoining his former club after failing to make a single appearance at Old Trafford.
Carreras joined United from Real in 2020 and was widely tipped to become a top defender.
But the Red Devils failed to see his potential, instead shipping the ace on loan to Preston, Granada and Benfica.
The latter quickly made Carreras’ move permanent for just £5m last summer.
And his imminent move to Real a year later shows that there is life after the Theatre of Dreams.
However, Carreras is not the first to make his mark following an exit from United.
Here, SunSport looks at several stars who have enjoyed great success away from the north west…
SCOTT McTOMINAY
Where else to start but with the Great Scot, whose 22 years at United ended with a shock move to Napoli last summer.
Fans in England thought they would never hear of McTominay again as he linked up with Antonio Conte in Italy.
The midfielder’s time at United saw him score juts 29 goals in 255 games, with few standout performances.
However, McTominay quickly settled into life at Napoli, endearing himself to fans with his incredible work rate and attacking drive.
He ended up scoring 13 goals in his debut season, nearly half his grand total at United.
But more importantly, McTominay inspired Napoli to their fourth Serie A title win.
He was subsequently named the league’s Most Valuable Player, and Neapolitans now speak of him in the same breath as Argentina legend Diego Maradona.
ANTHONY ELANGA
Sold for just £15m to Nottingham Forest two years ago, Elanga has quickly developed into one of the league’s top wingers.
His speed and eye for goal saw Forest qualify for Europe for the first time in 30 years.
And Elanga is now on the brink of a massive £60m transfer to Champions League side Newcastle.
It’s proved to be some turnaround from his United days. where Elanga scored four goals in 55 games.
Back then, he was seen as little more than a back-up option out wide.
Fans certainly warmed to him, his managers less so.
Yet Elanga has shown that through hard work and perseverance, big things are possibly for any United player who finds themselves on the fringes.
DEAN HENDERSON
Once tipped as a future United No1, Henderson’s fall from grace at Old Trafford was a quick one.
Numerous loans resulted in Henderson briefly displacing David De Gea in the 2020/21 season, playing 26 times that term.
But after a bout of Covid wrecked his hopes of staying between the sticks, he made just three further appearances before another loan move.
Crystal Palace then snapped up Henderson in 2023, and again he was forced to battle to become No1, this time against Sam Johnstone.
But Henderson finally cemented his spot under Oliver Glasner and featured 44 times for the Eagles last term.
His form saw him earn a recall to the England set-up, with Henderson starting twice in the past 9 months.
However, his greatest triumph came in May as Henderson inspired Palace to FA Cup glory over Man City.
The ace saved a penalty and made several more important stops on a historic day for his club, with Henderson later dedicating the win to his late father.
ANGEL DI MARIA
Not one to shy away from speaking out, Di Maria made no secret of his disdain for his sole year at United.
The Argentine ace jumped ship after a dismal spell under Louis van Gaal, having arrived at Old Trafford from Real Madrid on the back of a Champions League win in 2014.
Di Maria’s failure to settle in Manchester was a shock to many, especially considering his £60m transfer fee.
However, the midfielder quickly went on to prove that his shoddy spell in England did not spell the end of his career.
Di Maria ended up moving to France with PSG and played 295 times as he clinched five Ligue 1 titles.
The icon also starred for a season at Juventus before returning to old side Benfica and leading them to several cups.
He is now back in his homeland with boyhood club Rosario Central and returns a legend, having been part of the Argentina side that won the 2022 World Cup.
FRED
Another maligned midfielder at United, Fred’s value was realised by fans soon after his departure.
The unglamorous Brazilian was appreciated but not adored at Old Trafford.
But he was a constant presence in the squad and ended up playing 213 times in five years.
Fred then moved to Turkey with Fenerbahce in 2023 and has since become a mainstay of Jose Mourinho’s side.
Though he is yet to win a trophy in Istanbul, Fred has helped Fenerbahce close the gap to mega-money Galatasaray.
While back at United, supporters have woken up to how integral Fred quietly was.
Boss Ruben Amorim continues to struggle with his midfield partnership.
And versatile Fred, who could do just about anything that was asked of him, would surely be a better option in there than United’s current crop of flops.
ANTONY
Though technically still a United player, Antony’s time at Old Trafford was effectively ended when he joined Real Betis on loan in January.
Amorim’s desire to not use wingers in a 3-4-2-1 shape meant Antony, who had struggled when getting regular chances under Erik ten Hag, was facing a make-or-break career moment.
But after suffering from a severe lack of confidence in England, he immediately found his stride in Spain.
Antony struck five goals and two assists in LaLiga for Betis, helping them secure a Europa League finish.
He also played a key role on their run to the Conference League final, where Manuel Pellegrini’s side were beaten by Chelsea.
And Antony is now pushing for a permanent move to Betis, which could cost just £17m — making for a massive hit on his £86m United transfer.
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