Alejandro Garnacho will prove he’s a world class talent at his next club… but he won’t reach those heights at Man Utd
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO will be a world class forward, just not at Manchester United.
Garnacho, 20, is rightly labelled as one of the club’s brightest talents and was considered as one of three untouchable stars following last year’s FA Cup final.
But now the Puskas-award winning attacker looks set to be one of the first casualties of Ruben Amorim‘s rebuild.
So what happened in the space of half a season to trigger such a drastic change in transfer policy?
After all, Garnacho is the Red Devils’ joint-second top scorer this season with eight goals, ranked only behind Amad Diallo on nine and level with club captain Bruno Fernandes.
Former manager Erik ten Hag said of him that if he works hard, “that will bring him to being a world-class player because he has the potential.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Garnacho’s idol, played 73 games for Manchester United before turning 20, during which he had managed 10 goals.
In Garnacho’s first 73 games, he had 12, suggesting he’s shown more promise in these early years than even the great CR7.
However, the winger has been one of the main stars to suffer a dip in form following the appointment of Amorim.
Since the former Sporting Lisbon boss’s arrival, Garnacho has scored just two goals and his inconsistency has been clear to see in a role which he just doesn’t seem to have a feel for.
This is not to say he can’t learn his new position as one of the two No10s supporting the striker that Amorim likes to deploy, but off-field issues have also surrounded Garnacho in Amorim’s early days in the job.
Both Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were omitted from the matchday squad for the Manchester derby with the pair implicated in alleged team leaks.
Amorim choosing to address the leaks in public appeared to help end that particular saga for the time being, but Garnacho has still been highlighted over major concerns about his attitude and professionalism.
It was reported that a touchline incident where Garnacho turned his back on Amorim played a part in the decision to axe the youngster.
With these sort of issues in an environment as toxic as Man Utd, it feels like a ticking time-bomb where a huge fallout could be on the horizon.
If that happens, Manchester United run the risk that Garnacho’s value would have plummeted compared to what it is now – just like many other young stars who generated big expectations but failed to deliver.
Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj are just some of the names to have played for Man Utd with high hopes early on before failing to deliver.
At the moment Garnacho is undoubtedly the club’s most valuable and – most importantly in this context – sellable asset with heavy interest from Napoli and Chelsea.
Just not Chelsea
Out of those two, Manchester United’s transfer chiefs should do all they can to ensure a sale to a direct rival in Chelsea does not happen.
Napoli would be the ideal destination from a damage-limitation perspective, particularly if they can get the full £70million valuation out of the deal.
You only have to look at Scott McTominay to see that Garnacho could unlock his full potential there, with the Scot thriving in Italy with six goals in 23 games in all competitions.
That £25m sale, counted as pure profit as part of PSR rules that encourage the sale of academy stars, was a big part in ensuring Man Utd avoided a points penalty and were in a position to splash another £200m on transfers in the summer.
Even before Amorim was appointed it was acknowledged a huge rebuild task was needed for this squad.
But with a completely different tactical style the squad once again needs open-heart surgery with way more than £200m needed to course correct – even assuming every transfer ends up being a hit.
And this time the club cannot afford to botch it up.
Regardless of history, Man Utd are no longer in a position to attract the top names and need to reflect and understand the new food chain of football sees the Red Devils as a has-been.
In an ideal world, Garnacho would be one of the main parts of this new dawn, and he is one of the last names who should be sold from this squad of so-called stars.
Old Trafford icon Paul Scholes listed the winger among just three players Manchester United must keep.
But one simple rule of business comes from supply and demand, and many of the underperforming and overpaid players who should be sold before Garnacho are simply not attracting interest.
Names like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen spring to mind in that sense, while those who are being moved on such as Antony are only leaving on loan and therefore only offering a reduction in wages.
Even former talisman, Rashford, is unable to generate a considerable fee following his declaration of wanting to leave, with any transfer for him this month looking set to be a loan.
Selling a diamond in the rough like Garnacho will only serve to further agitate an already battered and bruised fanbase.
They have endured disgraceful performances on the pitch, scandalous ticket price increases and a general state of stagnation and regression supporting the club since Sir Alex Ferguson‘s departure.
However, due to Garnacho – like McTominay – counting as pure profit on the books he may need to be the first domino to fall and serve as the catalyst of Amorim’s United getting back to the top of England.
And unfortunately, it should be a head over heart resolution where any player is for sale if a deal is good enough and both parties can depart with no hard feelings.
Man Utd squad transfer verdict
SunSport gives its verdict on what Man Utd stars should stay or go in the first phase of Ruben Amorim's squad rebuild:
Andre Onana – Stay
Despite being guilty of some erratic performances, Andre Onana remains a world-class goalkeeper and United would struggle to find better in the market.
The defence has begun to look more solid in recent weeks now Amorim has had time to coach the structure into the team, and hopefully, that will be converted into clean sheets going forward.
Noussair Mazraoui – Stay
The best signing from the summer window so far, Noussair Mazraoui has proven to be everything Man Utd needed and more.
Versatile, reliable and passionate no matter whether he plays at wing-back or centre-back, it is a no-brainer to keep the Moroccan.
Leny Yoro – Stay
After a pre-season injury, Leny Yoro has taken some time to bed in but he has shown some superb moments in a Man Utd shirt already like his lung-busting run to block a Liverpool shot in the 2-2 draw at Anfield earlier this month.
At the age of 19 he will only get better and while too much expectation should not be thrust on him just yet, the early signs suggest he could be a mainstay in defence for years to come.
Harry Maguire – Go
The last time we did this list Harry Maguire was one of our main defensive options to be sold, but since Amorim has come with the back three the England international has barely put a foot wrong.
The issue with Maguire is that while he is perfectly suited to a back three, he will be 32 in the summer and has just one year left on his contract, so if a serious offer comes in he should regrettably be sold.
Matthijs de Ligt – Stay
Matthijs de Ligt has been very hit or miss since arriving in the summer. Capable of heroic last-ditch tackles like he did at Arsenal and also capable of some very silly passages of play like his handball against Liverpool.
In many ways, the Dutchman seems like a younger version of Maguire and given some more time to bed in he should improve even more.
Lisandro Martinez – Stay
Has really started to grow into the Amorim system in recent games after a very sticky patch of form.
He is one of the team’s best progressive passers in the build-up phase and has the dogged mentality this team will need to improve and claw its way up the table.
Luke Shaw – Go
It’s been said that one of the best abilities is availability, and that rings incredibly true for Luke Shaw.
World class on his day and is clearly still capable of finding those levels, as seen at less than full fitness with England at the Euros. But he is simply not available often enough to warrant keeping.
Tyrell Malacia – Go
Tyrell Malacia is still recovering his match sharpness from his two-year injury layoff, so it is a bit harsh to make a verdict on him so soon.
The current concern is that United will need to aggressively recruit specialist left wing-backs in the summer, and Malacia so far has not looked totally comfortable playing there.
Manuel Ugarte – Stay
Question marks were being raised about him after his first few games. But under Amorim, Manuel Ugarte has once again become the lynchpin of his midfield.
He knows the system inside out and is one of the Premier League’s most proficient ball winners. It would be madness to consider his sale next summer.
Kobbie Mainoo – Stay
Despite reports that Chelsea and Bayern Munich want to sign the 19-year-old, Kobbie Mainoo should be one of the few genuinely untouchable stars at the club and his contract situation needs sorting ASAP.
He has quality and aspects to his game not possessed by many other midfielders, and with improvements to the stars around him, he and Ugarte should be able to form an effective partnership for many years to come.
Casemiro – Go
Casemiro unfortunately seemed to lose his legs going into his second season at Man Utd. And with the 3-4-3 system demanding even more running from him, it is clear he simply does not fit the bill for what the club need going forward.
It would also help the club’s financial goals to see him sold due to his massive £375,000-a-week wages being taken off the books.
Bruno Fernandes – Stay
The club captain, Bruno Fernandes has faced a lot of criticism since taking the armband for his erratic decisions and losing his temper.
Yet he remains the best player in the squad by some distance and shows the mentality the squad needs to improve. Besides it’s not like United’s most famous captain of the Premier League era, Roy Keane, was exactly cool-headed.
Antony – Go
There’s a definite case to argue that Antony may be the worst pound-for-pound signing in Premier League history, with games too often passing him by and lacking quality when he is involved.
That being said, he has improved in a number of brief cameos when featuring as a wing-back under Amorim. But unless there is a plan for him to learn the position and become a specialist he should be moved on.
Marcus Rashford – Go
It was not supposed to end like this. Once the darling of Old Trafford and Carrington, Marcus Rashford’s comments admitting he wanted a new challenge were probably the final nail in the coffin for his Man Utd future.
There is a classy player in there if he can find the motivation to love his football again. A sale to a rival should be ruled out for fear of exactly that, while a sale overseas should be targeted and pushed by the club.
Amad Diallo – Stay
Has taken a real liking to his role as either the right No.10 in the 3-4-3 or as the right wing-back.
Amad Diallo has been one of the team’s best players this season and was rewarded with a new deal as a result.
Alejandro Garnacho – Go
Arguably the trickiest star on the list, Alejandro Garnacho has bags of raw talent to elevate him to being world-class. But recent off-field issues and poor form have doubt cast on his future.
If, as reports suggest, a major bid of £60m from the likes of Napoli comes in there will be a tough decision to make. Though it may be the financial situation of the club which ultimately tips the scale.
Joshua Zirkzee – Go
Joshua Zirkzee has certainly been hit-and-miss at United so far. He has had some games and moments where he has looked very impressive, and others where he is simply not good enough.
He has a very unique profile which makes him top drawer in the right system, it is just United will probably never play the right way for him to truly excel.