Manchester United have set a new transfer fee for Chelsea to sign Alejandro Garnacho this summer, according to reports.
Garnacho is one of several players United want to sell during this summer’s transfer window to trim Ruben Amorim’s squad and make room for incoming signings.
Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans were all released at the end of the season.
Garnacho is one of a number of players that have been put up for sale alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Argentina international Garnacho was once one of the most highly-rated players at Old Trafford but now looks set to leave the club.
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The 20-year-old blew hot and cold last season and Amorim was unhappy with his performances in training, omitting him and Rashford from his squad for the Manchester derby in December.
Amorim reportedly informed Garnacho that he was free to leave before United’s final game of the season and made it known in front of the entire squad that the winger would be moved on.
That would not have come as a huge surprise to Garnacho as Manchester United were in talks with multiple clubs in January over his transfer exit.
Chelsea and Napoli expressed interest in a deal during the winter window and both have indicated they are willing to make moves for Garnacho this summer.
Manchester United had hoped to land £60m for the Argentine but there is now an acceptance that £40m is a more realistic figure, according to the Daily Mirror.
Garnacho-Amorim row has sealed his Man Utd exit
The cast and circumstances are different, but the brewing tension between Ruben Amorim and Alejandro Garnacho is already drawing parallels with another ugly stand-off that engulfed the club not long ago.
Jadon Sancho’s very public falling out with Erik ten Hag in August 2023 signalled the end of his time at the club – even if United are still scrambling to remove him from their books.
The former Borussia Dortmund winger was accused of failing to meet the required standards in training – something Garnacho is certainly not guilty of with Amorim praising the Argentine for his determination and eagerness to adapt to his methods earlier this year.
But openly challenging his manager’s decisions is a rotten look. We will never know what might have happened had Garnacho started against Tottenham but the winger has been as guilty as anyone of missing big chances this season. Arguing he has played every round of the knockout stages leading to the final is a valid one – but just one goal in the Europa League this season suggests Amorim’s decision had its own merits. Garnacho can and should be doing more, something he and his brother may have overlooked as the red mist descended last night.
The bigger picture is Garnacho has openly defied his manager at a moment where the club is reeling, staggering towards the end of a disastrous season that has broken records in mediocrity.
United cannot afford to let the tension draw out like it did between Sancho and ten Hag. And with the club desperate to raise additional funds in the summer transfer window, one of their tougher decisions may have just got a little easier.
Tony Mogan | Assistant Sports Editor, Metro
Potential suitors are fully aware that United are looking for a sale, weakening their negotiating position, and that Garnacho is keen to move on.
He risked the wrath of Manchester United fans last weekend when he posted a picture on social media wearing an Aston Villa shirt while on holiday in Ibiza.
United have not commented on the incident but it is claimed the stunt has led them to double their efforts to sell him.
Amorim was already unhappy at Garnacho and his brother after they criticised his tactics following the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.
Who else will Manchester United sell?
Any money raised by Garnacho’s sale would be deemed as pure profit under PSR guidelines given his status as an academy graduate.
Garnacho joined the Old Trafford academy in 2020 after spending a number of years in Atletico Madrid’s youth teams.
Rashford’s likely transfer will also be deemed as pure profit, though his next destination remains far from clear.
The 27-year-old is still believed to be ‘dreaming’ of a move to Barcelona but the La Liga club’s imminent deal for Nico Williams has complicated matters.
A return to Aston Villa, where he spent the second-half of last season, remains a possibility but the Midlands club will need Rashford to take a pay cut.
Manchester United are also struggling to find landing spots for Sancho and Antony, partly due to their lucrative wages.
Real Betis want to re-sign Antony following his impressive form in Spain last season, while Juventus and Napoli have registered interest in Sancho.
Sancho hoped to earn a permanent move to loan club Chelsea but the Blues decided to pay Manchester United a £5m penalty to send him back to Old Trafford.
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