Nicolas Jackson has fallen behind Joao Pedro and Liam Delap in the Chelsea pecking order, while United are desperate to sell Alejandro Garnacho
Nicolas Jackson and Alejandro Garnacho could trade places this summer with both Chelsea and Manchester United keen to accelerate player sales.
United have turned their attentions to Jackson, The i Paper has learned, as they desperately look to add firepower to their underperforming strike force.
No bids have been launched as yet, but the interest is there, especially if he can be acquired at a knockdown price with Chelsea overloaded in the striker department.
Garnacho has told United he wants to leave this summer and is training away from the first team. Chelsea are long-term admirers of the young Argentine, with their inflated squad actually short of wingers given Noni Madueke is set to make the switch across London to Arsenal.
Chelsea are also yet to make a formal approach but retain an admiration for how Garnacho carries the ball and his willingness to take on defenders, sources said.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 25: Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United looks on at the end of the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC at Old Trafford on May 25, 2025 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Spurs and Aston Villa are also monitoring Alejandro Garnacho (Photo: Getty)
The 21-year-old wants to stay in the Premier League, or move to a top European team, having rejected Saudi Arabian advances. Aston Villa and Tottenham are two other clubs monitoring the situation.
United’s valuation of £60m has put off plenty of suitors so far, with a willingness to compromise at £50m still seen as too high.
Given United’s desperation to part ways with their five players training away from the first team – Garnacho, Antony, Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia – several sources indicated further reductions in value could enable an agreement to be found.
Both United and Chelsea would prefer straight player sales, especially United given Garnacho is an academy graduate and any revenue generated goes down as pure profit in the eyes of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules.
However, one source admitted some form of swap deal could see both deals come to fruition.
Villa are also keeping tabs on Jackson’s situation, with Garnacho of interest to Spurs as they struggle to get Morgan Gibbs-White’s switch to North London over the line.
Garnacho was expected to complete a move to Napoli quickly as last season’s disappointing campaign came to a close, with the Serie A champions’ sporting director Giovanni Manna meeting with United officials early last month, but no deal has been agreed.
United’s remaining funds have been set aside to complete Bryan Mbeumo’s capture – one that has not progressed as many hoped this week as both United and Brentford remain apart in their valuation, with co-owners Ineos determined to maintain their change of tact in the transfer market, one where United do not overpay.
Once that is complete – a move the club hope to finalise before they head off to the United States on their pre-season tour next week – player sales are a must to enable Ruben Amorim to bolster other areas of his squad.
United stand to make over £15m in add-on clauses from sales of previously departed players who are moving on again, but they remain unable to shift any of their wantaway stars training alone.
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That has forced them to move on from big-money strike targets in Benjamin Sesko and Hugo Ekitike and look at alternative options in free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Jackson.
Chelsea are still looking for around £60m for a player who has scored 24 Premier League goals across the last two seasons, but several sources indicated that there is a belief among his suitors that the price will drop considerably as the window wears on, given new signings Joao Pedro and Liam Delap are ahead of Jackson in the pecking order for the central striker role.
Christopher Nkunku is expected to generate some income, with Bayern Munich his likely destination, with plenty of other players deemed surplus to requirements likely to leave Chelsea too.
Jackson, however, may force the issue, given the competition for places ahead of the new season.