Alejandro Garnacho is finally set to leave Old Trafford this week after Chelsea’s pursuit of the 21-year-old winger passed a major hurdle in negotiations with Manchester United, according to a report.
Bombed Out of Old Trafford
Garnacho locked horns with Ruben Amorim in the immediate aftermath of the Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur in May.
The Argentina international, frustrated with being dropped after starting every round prior to the match in Bilbao, described United’s season as “sh-t” and questioned his future at the club in a post-match interview.
Amorim’s response was absolute: find a new club – and the Portuguese coach informed Garnacho of this decision in an all-team meeting just days after the final.
Garnacho was then designated as part of Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ – a group of players with no future at Old Trafford, including Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia, who were made to train separately from the first team while transfer exits were found.
United have actively been shopping Garnacho this summer in the hope of buttressing this transfer budget with a big sale. But concerns over his attitude appearing to have curtailed prospective suitor’s interest.
Chelsea, who made advances to sign the winger in January, conducted a thorough background check on Garnacho’s personality and are believed to have come away satisfied with him as a target.
This interest is reciprocated by the 21-year-old who considers Stamford Bridge a “dream move” and has actively turned down offers from elsewhere as a result.
A Difference in Value
The major hurdle to a switch to west London has been the discrepancy in value of Garnacho between the two clubs.
Initially, United were thought to be holding out for £70 million for a youngster who, despite his rocky end to lift in Manchester, has demonstrated obvious quality relative to his age.
Chelsea initially prioritised other targets, hoping that as the transfer window wore on, United would lower their demands — which they ultimately have.
Caught Offside reveals there is a “broad agreement” in place between the two Premier League rivals worth in the region of £50 million, including add-ons.
“CaughtOffside understands that it has taken some time to agree on the fee for Garnacho, with the feeling being that both clubs will now settle on something in the region of a £50m package, add-ons included.
“There are still some details to settle, while Chelsea are also keen to ensure they can sell players to keep in line with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules [PSR].”
From United’s perspective, Garnacho’s sale will constitute ‘pure profit’ from a PSR perspective as he is an academy graduate. This means, with the transfer window heading into its final week, the Red Devils are set for a major boost to the club’s budget with a number of holes still left to fill in Amorim’s squad.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
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.
