Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has broken his silence on his club’s reported pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho with a bizarre statement.
United are believed to be prepared to cash in on Garnacho to fund Ruben Amorim’s huge rebuilding job at the club and the Argentina international looks ill at ease in his 3-4-3 formation.
Since Garnacho qualifies as a homegrown player, his sale would provide United with a pure profit and increased spending flexibility under PSR guidelines, particularly as they contend with the possibility of missing out on Champions League qualification this season.
Under Amorim, Garnacho has become a peripheral figure, with the coach mostly demonstrating a preference for Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes as the two players deployed just behind the striker.
Napoli have identified Garnacho as the ideal replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who was sold to Paris Saint-Germain, but the Serie A giants have so far fallen short of United’s steep asking price.
United even reduced their valuation of Garnacho in an effort to reach a compromise with Napoli, but the two parties remain far from an agreement.
As talks stall, the Partenopei have turned their attention towards Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi.
Now, De Laurentiis has weighed in on Napoli’s chase of Garnacho, publicly questioning whether the 20-year-old has the ability to be prolific in Italy’s top flight.
When questioned by a fan about Garnacho’s possible transfer, De Laurentiis responded [via Fabrizio Romano], “Who can guarantee to me that he’s gonna score 20 goals?”
🚨 Napoli president de Laurentiis when asked about Alejandro Garnacho deal: “Who can guarantee to me that he’s gonna score 20 goals?”, reports @Spazio_Napoli. pic.twitter.com/BxB9PyO5TR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 23, 2025
De Laurentiis’ words suggest that Napoli have ended their interest in the United attacker ahead of the transfer deadline on February 3.
His words may also be taken to be a negotiating tactic, as he seeks to break the ongoing deadlock with United.
Chelsea are the other club in the running to land Garnacho this month and according to a recent report covered by The Peoples Person, the Blues have lodged a bid for him.
Featured image Stephen Pond 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!
