Alejandro Garnacho was one of Manchester United’s standout players in the 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the weekend, but reports in Spain claim his summer departure is already decided.
The notoriously sensationalist Fichajes state that “the future of Alejandro Garnacho is decided” and in no uncertain terms express that he will join Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
According to the report “the Madrid club has already reached a verbal agreement with the player” as Diego Simeone looks to strengthen his attack, with the plan to deploy Garnacho alongside Julian Alvarez.
Fichajes suggest that Atletico are hardly having to wrestle the player away from United because he “does not fit into the plans” of manager Ruben Amorim.
They also note the club’s well-documented financial struggles which already generated a January saga involving the 20-year-old who briefly looked set for a winter switch to Napoli.
The reported fee for the summer transfer to Atletico is “close to 50 million euros”, an amount which will give the Red Devils “more leeway to make key signings in their reconstruction process.”
Certainly a major squad overhaul is required and expected when the window opens in June, with Amorim in desperate need of players fit for purpose as he pushes on with his 3-4-3 system.
Garnacho’s sale would bring in ‘pure profit’ as he is an academy graduate, albeit one snaffled from Atletico when he was a teenager – the reported move would be a homecoming for the young winger.
He was born in Madrid and spent five years at the club, and Fichajes note that his transfer to Atletico “marks a turning point in his career, offering him the opportunity to establish himself in a team that will provide him with a leading role.”
Garnacho burst onto the scene with immense promise but is not yet the key figure at Old Trafford which the Spanish newspaper claim he will become under Simeone.
He struggled for consistent game time after Amorim’s arrival, although injuries to his team-mates have seen him pick up more minutes on the pitch and despite persistent issues with decision making and finishing he does seem to be improving again.
Whether or not Fichajes’ bombshell claim about Garnacho’s future already being decided is true, it does feel likely that the fan favourite will be packing his bags in the summer, the profitable fall guy needed to facilitate a rebuild.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
