Manchester United have spoken with Preston North End over a return to Deepdale for Alvaro Fernandez but nothing has been decided as of yet with the Championship club keen to have the defender back.
The 20-year-old United prospect nailed down a starting place on the left flank of Ryan Lowe's team for much of last season, playing 42 times in all competitions and notching six assists.
Preston director Peter Ridsdale spoke to United at Wembley last weekend at the FA Cup final as Erik ten Hag's side succumbed to a 2-1 loss at the hands of cross town rivals Manchester City. Though North End would like Fernandez to return, Ridsdale believes they will have to wait and see what happens and what United opt to do with the defender for the upcoming 12 months.
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Fernandez joined United in September 2020 from Real Madrid and is yet to play for United's first team. Ten Hag's side are poised to wait until after the club's pre-season tour of the US before making any firm decisions on any players who performed well in the Championship last season, including Fernandez.
But from Preston's perspective, they are keen to see Fernandez back at Deepdale and Ridsdale believes there will not be one person connected to the club who would not want to see that happen. He accepts the situation is out of Preston's hands though and depends on United, but admitted 'never say never' on the prospect of a return for Fernandez to the Championship side to get more minutes under his belt.
Speaking to to BBC Radio Lancashire, Ridsdale said: “I don’t think I could find anybody who could say they wouldn’t (want Fernandez to rejoin) - of course we would. He was a massive hit and the frustration sometimes, which is life, is that you go into the loan market and if it works, people criticise us because we have to go back.
“And if it doesn't work, they forget that actually it meant there was a short-term investment to have a look. Both in Tom [Cannon, Everton loanee] and Alvaro’s case I think everybody would say that they were massive hits for PNE last year and of course we’d love to see them back.
“That, to some extent, is out of our hands but I did speak to Manchester United about him on Saturday [at the FA Cup final] and you never say never. Let’s see what happens.”
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