Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo has given Alejandro Garnacho food for thought ahead of his potential move to Napoli.
Reflecting on his time in Serie A Ronaldo, who scored 145 goals in 346 games for the Red Devils across two spells, branded it “the most difficult league for forwards.”
Garnacho was previously seen as one of the few untouchable members of Ruben Amorim’s squad, but has emerged as a potential money-spinner for a cash-strapped United.
Napoli are thought to be leading the charge for the young Argentine, with the Italian giants in sudden need of a replacement for wantaway winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Speaking in 2019, a year after his arrival at Juventus from Real Madrid, Ronaldo explained the culture shock to BeIN Sports, and his words could serve as a warning to Garnacho should he too make the switch.
As per The Express, the Portuguese called Serie A “a difficult league – the most difficult one for all forwards.
“It’s the most difficult league for me, it’s full of quality players. I didn’t expect this much quality in the Italian league, they’re very good.”
Never one to struggle to find the back of the yet, Ronaldo cautioned that “it’s harder to score in the Italian league than in the Spanish league. The Spanish league is more open, the teams risk more. Here, not so much.”
Garnacho has bagged eight goals in 30 appearances for United this season, and over the course of his time in the first team has managed 23 in 116.
Ronaldo’s comments may therefore concern a winger for whom goals are a big part of his game.
The Portuguese added that in Italy “the team’s priority is to defend first, and then to attack. That’s not true for Spain. Spanish games are more open.
“The English league, where I played for five years, is the same. It’s harder to score in the Italian league, in my opinion.”
Rumours of Garnacho’s departure are gathering pace amid reports that Napoli offered £38m for the player.
This is said to have fallen short of United’s £60m valuation, but it does seem that INEOS are keen to cash in on an academy player who would represent pure profit.
Featured image Michael Regan 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.
