Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho will sit down with club executives “in the coming days” over a potential departure from Old Trafford this summer, according to ESPN.
The Argentinian international was relegated to the bench for the season-defining Europa League final after having played a key role in helping the Red Devils reach Bilbao.
With United trailing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur with only 19 minutes left to play, Ruben Amorim brought Garnacho off the bench to replace the ineffective Mason Mount.
The change in tempo on the left-hand side of the pitch was immediate with the 20-year-old winger offering a constant threat with his willingness to run directly at Spurs right-back Pedro Porro.
Ultimately, United were unable to turn the game around and Ange Postecoglou’s side emerged victorious at the San Mames Stadium.
In a post-match interview, Amorim was asked about the decision to drop Garnacho to the bench and chose to respond in a prickly manner.
The Portuguese coach stated, “How many times have we had this conversation and it was the opposite? Some players come in, like Mason Mount, against Bilbao and changed the game. So now it is easy to say. Who missed the big opportunity in the first half against Bilbao? Yeah [Garnacho].
“Of course, now it is easy for us to talk about a lot of views. I just look at the game and try to manage things and improve the team and try to win games. I can see it both ways. I remember everything about the past so it is easy for me to respond to that question.”
Garnacho’s brother – a constant source of angst for the club – reacted to Amorim’s response on social media, claiming the winger had “been thrown under the bus” by his coach.
The academy graduate reflected these feelings in his own interview after the match, detailing his frustration at Amorim’s decision to deploy him from the bench with so little of the game left to play.
“Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” Garnacho stated. “The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards.”
ESPN now reveals the Argentine is set to sit down with United officials for talks over his future with sources contending an exit is “likely”.
The report states, “United and Garnacho’s representatives are expected to have a meeting in the coming days to discuss the Argentina international’s exit during the summer transfer window, a source told ESPN.
“The player is unhappy with the role he has played since the arrival of coach Ruben Amorim and he is understood to be upset at being limited to just 20 minutes during the 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao on Wednesday. The club is willing to negotiate his sale if a realistic offer arrives, sources told ESPN.
“The winger, according to sources, is also unhappy at how head coach Amorim managed the situation around his selection for the game.”
Garnacho presents a complex choice for his club.
On the one hand, he is a talented academy graduate who has demonstrated excellent attacking threat in a side devoid of competent forwards. These type of players have functioned as the foundation of the best United sides in the past and Garnacho’s scope for further improvement is obvious.
On the other, the 20-year-old winger consistently displays an unprofessional approach off the pitch, even if he feels he has good reasons to do so because of events on it. He also lacks a clear home in Amorim’s system and is a rare player at the club who would command a sizeable fee in the transfer market, with United’ finances having suffered as a result of the Europa League final loss.
While fans will undoubtedly be disappointed to see a talented youngster leave, club executives will not share this sentimentality towards Garnacho. The talks planned between the two parties “in the coming days” will prove decisive to the approach the club takes over the winger’s future.
Featured image Carl Recine 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.
