Alejandro Garnacho is a target for Saudi Arabian clubs Al-Nassr and NEOM SC with Manchester United open to the winger’s departure this summer, according to a journalist.
Garnacho, 20, is set to exit Old Trafford after Ruben Amorim told to “find a new club” in an explosive team meeting last weekend.
The Argentinian international was unhappy with Amorim’s decision to drop him for the Europa League final, despite having started in every round prior to the match in Bilbao.
United would ultimately fall to a dismal 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur with Garnacho brought on for Mason Mount, who had been wholly ineffective, with only twenty minutes remaining.
When asked about the decision in a post-match interview, Amorim gave a prickly response, referencing a miss by Garnacho in the semi-final against Athletic Club as part of his reasoning.
The 20-year-old winger was evidently angry with this explanation, delivering his own fiery interview at the San Mames Stadium where he described United’s season as “sh-t” and indicated he would consider a summer exit.
His brother also took to social media to implicitly accuse Amorim of “throwing [Garnacho] under the bus.”
Two days after the final, fresh from a meeting in Monaco with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United’s executive branch, Amorim gathered his senior squad to inform them he would be remaining as head coach before telling Garnacho to “find a new club” this summer.
As an academy graduate, Garnacho’s sale would constitute ‘pure profit’ from a PSR perspective at a time when the financial situation at Old Trafford is strained.
The 20-year-old winger also does not have an obvious home in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system as he lacks the defensive instincts to be a wing-back and the technical skill to thrive as a number ten.
United would, therefore, be open to Garnacho’s sale, particularly as this public dispute with Amorim has made the Argentine’s position at the club increasingly untenable, despite his present on the post-season tour in Asia.
There is interest from Bayer Leverkusen in Garnacho with Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag, set to take over at the BayArena this summer. The Dutchman was a big fan of the winger and consistently played him after his ascension into the first-team.
But there is also increasing interest from the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr and NEOM SC both identifying Garnacho as a target, according to Ben Jacobs (as relayed by GIVEMESPORT).
“Keep an eye on Al-Nassr in particular. As I exclusively revealed a few weeks ago, Al-Nassr’s first choice is Luis Diaz, but it’s not a guarantee that he will exit, because Liverpool are kind of 50-50, and it will depend on the offer and the player.
“If Diaz doesn’t go, Garnacho is also on Al-Nassr’s list, and another club that really like him are NEOM SC, but I’m not so sure that Garnacho would accept NEOM’s proposal, because the finances will be less.”
Jacobs contends “Garnacho doesn’t have a future” at Old Trafford with the club described as “bullish” over his sale.
From United’s perspective, a sale to the Saudi Pro League would offer the best financial package out of any potential options this summer. And it will be a similar case for Garnacho in terms of a wage packet.
But whether the Argentinian starlet would be willing to leave European football for the Middle East before his career has truly got off the ground remains to be seen.
Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
