Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has confirmed that a January move for Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho collapsed because of the player’s unrealistic wage demands.
All through the winter transfer window, there was speculation over Garnacho’s future amidst a belief that United were ready to sell him for the right price.
As a homegrown star, Garnacho’s fee would count as 100% profit under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Napoli and Chelsea were mentioned as the two clubs with the strongest interest in the Argentine.
Antonio Conte’s side even made a bid for Garnacho but United turned it down as they held out for a bigger sum. Negotiations carried on late into the window but an agreement could not be found.
Now, Napoli chief Giovani Manna has insisted that they did indeed lodge a big for Garnacho but the real reason why the transfer didn’t get over the line is because of the 20-year-old’s excessive wage demands.
Manna also indicated that Garnacho’s wage demands for a move to the Diego Armando Stadium shifted midway through negotiations.
He said at a press conference [via Manchester Evening News], “We pushed for Garnacho before Kvara [Khvicha Kvaratskhelia] left, but he wanted a salary we couldn’t justify.”
Another attacking player Napoli were also looking at was Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi, whom they also failed to sign.
“We lost time on big names instead of moving earlier on the right profiles.”
“Garnacho and Adeyemi were close, but we don’t want to create false expectations. If a player changes his stance midway and suddenly wants different conditions, I don’t like it. If you want to come to Napoli, you should want it from the start.”
He added, “We tried to replace Kvara, but January is tough—strong players rarely move, and some valuations didn’t align with our financial parameters.”
“We won’t compromise on salary structure.”
On Napoli’s plans ahead of the summer, he noted, “When you have money, prices rise. Summer is different—more availability, clubs need to sell first. We won’t overpay or go beyond our financial structure.”
“We have a clear strategy. Some clubs can afford things we cannot, and that’s fine—it aligns with our history and values. But Napoli is financially stable, in the black, and not in debt. We will not make reckless signings just to satisfy public pressure.”
So far this term, Garnacho 35 appearances for United across all competitions, registering seven goals and six assists.
He and his teammates are back in action on Friday when they host Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester for a fourth-round FA Cup clash.
Featured image Vasili Mihai-Antonio via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
