Manchester United have done a lot wrong in the transfer market in recent years, with ill-judged departures almost as significant as poorly planned signings.Scott McTominay left last year and won the

But listen to the way Xabi Alonso spoke about Alex Grimaldo throughout Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible title-winning season — when he provided 10 goals and 13 assists in the Bundesliga from his high-flying wing-back role — and it would be fair to assume that the Spaniard was top of the class.

Real Madrid have been desperate to sign Álvaro Carreras from Benfica this summer and a transfer agreement has now been reached, Los Blancos were eager to add the left back to their roster before the FIFA Club World Cup but were unable to finalize a deal in time.