Manchester United are in a period of transition under new boss Ruben Amorim, and it could see one player heading to Atletico Madrid as early as next month, according to reports in Spanish media.
Amorim — ranked the 11th-best manager in the world right now by FourFourTwo — took the reins from former manager Erik ten Hag earlier this year and the Portuguese coach’s differing tactical approach has brought upheaval for a number of the Dutchman’s former most trusted lieutenants.
Now, one of United's key performers last season is being linked with a shock January move away.
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho linked with Atletico Madrid return
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 10: Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Leicester City FC at Old Trafford on November 10, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Alejandro Garnacho has established himself as one of the key players at Manchester United in the past couple of years(Image credit: Getty Images)
Spanish outlet Fichajes have reported that La Liga side Atletico Madrid are interested in bringing Red Devils winger Alejandro Garnacho back to the club.
The 20-year-old spent a portion of his youth career in the academy setup with Rojiblancos before switching to United’s academy as a teenager.
Alejandro Garnacho scores an overhead kick for Manchester United against Everton at Goodison Park in November 2023.
Garnacho recently clinched the Puskas Award for his acrobatic effort against Everton last year(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Argentina international impressed at Carrington and earned his professional debut at Old Trafford in April 2022 against Chelsea at 17 years old.
It wasn’t until last season that he became a mainstay of the senior side, making 36 Premier League appearances, netting seven goals — one of which being his Puskas Award-winning bicycle kick against Everton at Goodison Park — and providing four assists.
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But the arrival of Amorim has necessitated a positional tweak for the young winger, now most commonly used as one of the two no.10s behind the main striker, and as a result has seen his status as a nailed-on starter somewhat tested. He was left out of the squad entirely, along with Marcus Rashford, for the recent Manchester derby.
Fichajes report that Atletico boss Diego Simeone sees his fellow countryman as a promising boost to a potential Argentinian trio in attack along with his son Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez, especially with Antoine Griezmann’s contract situation on the horizon.
In FourFourTwo’s opinion, while Garnacho’s absence against Manchester City perhaps lends weight to reports of a potential departure, it doesn’t feel like his story at Old Trafford is quite complete yet.
He may not be guaranteed the same minutes as he was under Ten Hag, but he is still very young and very early into his senior career. His talent is evident, and there’s nothing to say that he can’t adapt and flourish after he’s spent some proper time on the training pitch with Amorim.