Nicky Butt has eviscerated former Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho and hinted it is no surprise he appears to be on course to torch his Chelsea career.
The Argentina international swapped Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge last summer in a £40million deal following an acrimonious departure from the Theatre of Dreams.
Garnacho made a stunning breakthrough as a teenager under Erik ten Hag but he quickly got ideas above his station and failed to build on his potential with his spell at United ending in a bitter fallout with Ruben Amorim after he was left out of the Europa League final starting XI.
Butt saw at first-hand the signs that a promising career was likely to be undermined by a questionable attitude in his role as academy manager.
‘He signed at 16,’ Butt told the The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast . ‘I was academy manager at the time and he signed in a deal where they also signed Alvaro (Fernandez). Garnacho was always a bit stand-off-ish, he had a high opinion of himself.
‘I thought he had an edge about him. And when he got into the first team – I will just say what I think because I was there – he got above his station way too quick. He got superstar status way too quick.
‘And that’s not a former player saying they get paid too much, I hope young players get paid millions, but he got superstar status too quick and he obviously scored the bicycle kick which was phenomenal.
Get personalised football updates every day
Sign up to our daily football newsletter and choose your team to get the latest news, rumours and more about your favourite team.
‘Someone in that club or team at the time should have been swatting him down, and they might have been, and he ignored them. But the best thing Man United did was sell him because, forget his ability, and I don’t think he is that great anyway, but I thought his attitude was a disgrace when he was at Man United.
‘More importantly when he left, and if you completely disrespect your teammates and the football club when you leave, then that’s it.’
The toxic nature of his exit clearly hasn’t been forgotten at United given the reaction to Saturday’s win over Chelsea which saw several players, including Luke Shaw and Bruno Fernandes, aim subtle digs at their former colleague on social media.
Chelsea are already reported to have made up their minds and are ready to cut their losses on a player who has failed to make a significant impact during his time in west London.
Despite two failed spells at two Premier League giants, Butt believes the 21-year-old’s self-belief will remain intact given the remarkable level of confidence Garnacho has always had in himself.
‘It is common knowledge that (Amorim) told him on the final game of the season that he can go find a new club,’ Butt, who played for United between 1992 and 2004, continued.
‘If he had been in our team then he would have been taken out every single day in training with the players we were brought up with.
‘He would have been treated really badly, he’d have learned from that and got better.
‘He was 21 or whatever when he left the club but you can’t be up your own backside thinking you are as big or bigger than Man United.
‘In an interview recently I watched it and he said “I thought I should have played every game”. I was thinking number one, you weren’t even that good, and number two you are young, be humble.
‘What I would say is that he was very mentally strong. We had a lad called Anthony Elanga, I thought he was better, if he went at the right-back and lost the first three he wouldn’t do it again. He wouldn’t want to give the ball away. He is different now.
‘Garnacho had that mentality to just keep going, that’s his biggest strength and that is why every now and again he will do something unbelievable. He has massive belief in himself.’