Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea looks like it’s really happening, so what can Blues fans expect from the Manchester United winger if he joins?
It’s been an up-and-down spell for the talented young Argentine at Old Trafford, and this is a deal that is likely to bring mixed feelings from both sides.
There’s perhaps the sense that we haven’t seen the best of Garnacho yet, so there are bound to be some Man Utd supporters concerned about selling to a rival like Chelsea.
At the same time, perhaps the Red Devils will be rubbing their hands at the prospect of cashing in on a difficult personality for a huge profit, while Chelsea fans question why their club isn’t aiming a bit higher, or focusing on other positions when they already have so many options in attack.
Who is Alejandro Garnacho? Background and early career
Garnacho was born in Madrid to a Spanish father and Argentinian mother, and although he initially represented Spain at Under-18 level, he is now a full Argentina international.
The winger started out in the academy of Getafe, before moving to Atletico Madrid in 2015, where he stayed until being snapped up by United in 2020.
Initially costing just £420,000, as per the Manchester Evening News, it’s clear that United ended up getting good value for money for Garnacho, who made an impressive start in the club’s youth teams before stepping up to the senior side.
Garnacho is also known for being a huge fan of MUFC legend Cristiano Ronaldo, often using his celebrations and playing in a similar style as a goal-scoring winger.
Career statistics and playing style
Garnacho has played in a variety of positions for United, appearing on both flanks and even occasionally filling in as a central attacking midfielder.
Although he’s capable of scoring and assisting, he’s perhaps more inclined to try breaking into the box to score himself, rather than dribbling past his full-back and whipping in a cross.
See below for a useful graphic illustrating how his stats and playing style compare to Chelsea players past and present…
Garnacho, in fairness, seems a bit less effective than fellow new arrival Jamie Gittens, as well as current Chelsea man Pedro Neto, while he’s also behind Noni Madueke in a few areas – a player Chelsea sold to Arsenal this summer.
Still, a return of 11 goals and nine assists in all competitions for this struggling United side last season isn’t too bad, and it’s easy to see why Chelsea perhaps feel he’ll do a lot better once he’s in Enzo Maresca’s squad.
Chelsea News editor Will Faulks can see the logic there, even if he’s not sure most fans will exactly be that thrilled about the deal.
“Garnacho is an interesting deal for Chelsea,” Faulks says. “On the one hand, you’re buying a player who has been told to leave his current club because he’s seen as a bad influence. On the other hand, there’s a temptation to say that he’s got lots of talent and could thrive in a new, less dysfunctional environment.
“Just as with Jadon Sancho a year ago, it seems like Chelsea are pursuing this deal as a market opportunity rather than because he’s a dream player to upgrade the squad. Fans feel the same way – those who just want the best possible team don’t think it’s a good idea. Those who do want him, want him because he’s undervalued and can be sold for a profit, or just be a bargain squad player with lots of upside.
“We can’t think of many fans who would take Garnacho over Xavi Simons, for example.”
2025 transfer situation explained
It’s been clear for some time now that Garnacho’s departure from United was inevitable, with the 21-year-old performing pretty inconsistently and seeming unsettled, particularly since Ruben Amorim became manager.
Garnacho featured often in last season’s run to the Europa League final, but he didn’t hide his feelings when he didn’t start in that final defeat against Tottenham.
“Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he said after the game, as quoted by BBC Sport.
“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.”
Despite his struggles during his time in Manchester, CaughtOffside understands Garnacho has attracted suitors from top clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Napoli.
We were also told that Garnacho rejected the chance to move to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr, with his preference always to stay in Europe, and specifically the Premier League.
Chelsea don’t need Alejandro Garnacho. He’s a good player, but not good enough. We’ve got gittens and George on the left already. Chelsea have a squad packed with talent we don’t need more players to upset people for not getting enough time on the pitch. Maybe invest the money in the next transfer window if needed. I would like to see Xavi Simmons come but honestly, I don’t even know if we need him.