Alejandro Garnacho was heavily linked with a move to Chelsea during the January transfer window, and the Manchester United star has since shown his true colours
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Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on May 27, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Alejandro Garnacho in Manchester United training at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium
(Image: Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Alejandro Garnacho's support for Chelsea following their 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC in the Club World Cup speaks volumes. The victory, masterminded by Enzo Fernandez's prowess at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday night, was key to the Blues' hopes of qualification from Group D.
Pedro Neto fired Enzo Maresca's side into the lead shortly before the break. The winger made the most of Nicolas Jackson's pinpoint pass behind LAFC's defence to open the scoring, smashing the ball past Hugo Lloris at his near post.
Enzo Fernandez, fresh from his Conference League final heroics, came on for Romeo Lavia at half-time and wasted no time making an impact. In the final minutes, he latched onto Liam Delap's super cross with a close-range strike to double Chelsea's advantage.
Liam Delap
Liam Delap impressed on his Chelsea debut(Image: Michael Regan - FIFA)
After the game, debutant Delap took to Instagram, celebrating his first outing for Chelsea with an assist, sharing several snaps with his followers and writing: "First minutes with the boys @chelseafc."
By Tuesday morning, Delap's celebratory post had already amassed over 150,000 likes, featuring a notable thumbs-up from Garnacho. Despite crossing paths only twice in the Premier League this season, Garnacho seemed delighted with the young striker's performance – a move that raises eyebrows given the speculation in the January transfer window.
Alejandro Garnacho reacts to Liam Delap's post on Instagram
Alejandro Garnacho reacts to Liam Delap's post on Instagram (Image: Instagram: @liamdelap)
Earlier this year, the Argentina international was linked with a move to Stamford Bridge as Maresca looked to bolster his frontline. Despite failing to secure a move to Chelsea, Garnacho appears to be keeping track of the club's progress.
The Manchester Evening News understands that the 22-year-old has been told he can leave United this summer if they receive an acceptable offer. Garnacho's entourage held talks with the club about his future following the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final last month.
When asked about Garnacho ahead of United's final game of the Premier League season, Ruben Amorim remained coy. The Portuguese tactician said: "I always speak to my players, but the focus now is on the last game.
"I don't know what is going to happen. We have a plan and we prepared for both situations, with Champions League and without. We have an idea what type of squad we want, but now we have to focus on the last game and we will have time address all of those situations."
The Manchester Evening News understands that United rejected a £40m offer from Napoli for Garnacho in the January transfer window. This summer, the club are expected to hold out for a higher fee.
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