Manchester United have been really disappointing so far this season, and lost once again on Sunday afternoon, their final game before Christmas.
It was a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, the second time they have lost to the Cherries at home in two successive years.
Frustratingly for the Red Devils, not many of their big-name stars have performed to their best levels this term. The standout contributors have been Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes. The young Ivorian has five goals and eight assists while the United skipper has six goals and ten assists across competitions.
Man-Utd-Amad-Onana-Fernandes
Alejandro Garnacho also had a fast start to the season, which has got the attention of some of United’s Premier League rivals.
The latest news on Alejandro Garnacho's future
It was a lightning-quick start to the 2024/25 campaign for United’s number 17. The Argentine winger had already scored and assisted ten goals by the end of October, making a flying start under former boss Erik ten Hag.
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One of his best performances of the season came against Barnsley in the Carabao Cup third round. The 20-year-old scored two and assisted two in a 7-0 thrashing of the League One side, helping his side safely through to the next round.
However, he has slowed down recently and is now sitting on just eight goals and four assists for the season.
Life under Ruben Amorim has not been as smooth as the winger might have expected, with one goal in eight games so far. He was even dropped from the squad for the Manchester Derby.
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It might be with that in mind that Garnacho has emerged as a transfer target for some of the world’s biggest clubs. According to CaughtOffside, one club in Europe is aiming to bring him in on loan with a £60m buy clause in the deal.
The interested parties include United’s Premier League rivals and Manchester City and Chelsea, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich also interested.
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What Garnacho leaving would mean for Man United
It might well be a mistake for United to sell one of their premium talents and it could be their own version of when City sold Cole Palmer last summer, particularly if he moved to Stamford Bridge.
England international Palmer has been simply sensational at Chelsea this season. In Jamie Carragher’s opinion, he is “the best player in the Premier League”, especially if he continues this impressive form.
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The 22-year-old star has scored 36 goals and registered 21 assists in 64 games across all competitions for the Blues. That includes 33 goals and assists in as many Premier League appearances in his first season at the club.
However, it was not always so simple for the Wythenshawe-born star, who was once not even a regular in the City team. Despite making his debut in the 2019/20 campaign, Palmer played just 41 games for the Citizens managing six goals and two assists in that time.
Whilst Pep Guardiola didn’t perhaps see the potential in Palmer, or at least did not have the chance to give him an opportunity, the West Londoners did. They paid £42.5m for the attacker, and the rest is history.
Cole Palmer celebrates for Manchester City
City made a huge faux pas in selling Palmer, who, as Carragher said, is now one of the best in the league. Indeed, this is not a mistake that United want to make, and they could well end up doing so if they sell Garnacho.
His record at United is even better than Palmer’s was at City. He has played 112 games for the Red Devils so far, an extraordinary feat for someone just 20 years of age. In that time, Garnacho has 36 goals and assists.
Garnacho & Palmer records for Manchester clubs
Stat
Games
Minutes
Goals
Assists
G/A per game
Stats from Transfermarkt
Selling one of their most exciting academy products to Chelsea or City could be a big error for United. Although it has been a slow start to life under Amorim, he is obviously very talented, as his goals record from this term shows.
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It would be a big risk selling the winger to a Premier League rival. United could regret it, just as their biggest rivals from East Manchester did.
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