Aston Villa have reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, who is not part of Ruben Amorim's plans at Old Trafford
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho look on
Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho are unlikely to stay at Manchester United beyond this summer
(Image: Getty Images)
Aston Villa have reportedly become the latest club to express interest in Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho. The winger is anticipated to leave the Reds before the transfer window closes and does not feature in Ruben Amorim's plans.
The Argentine international, who was up for sale in January, was instructed by the Portuguese head coach to seek a new club after Garnacho publicly criticised the decision not to start him in the Europa League final loss to Tottenham. Consequently, Garnacho has been absent from United's pre-season preparations.
Instead, the winger - along with Marcus Rashford, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho - has been told to report to Carrington for training at 5pm, after the first team have finished their session. So far, United have been unable to arrange a transfer for any of the players they wish to offload.
According to the Mail, via the Mirror, Villa have shown interest in Garnacho. Chelsea and Tottenham are also reportedly keeping an eye on the 21-year-old's situation, who would prefer to stay in the Premier League.
United previously valued Garnacho at £70million, but that figure may be hard to achieve given the public fallout over the winger's situation at United. However, any fee will provide pure profit for the club in terms of profit and sustainability rules..
Last month, Garnacho posted a photo of himself wearing an Aston Villa shirt. The young star caused a stir when he wore a Rashford top, drawing the ire of some fans.
Rashford spent the latter half of last season on loan at Villa Park, though the club ultimately chose not to trigger the permanent transfer option. The United academy graduate netted four times and provided six assists across 17 outings in the Midlands.
Unai Emery's team had secured a £40m deal with United to complete Rashford's permanent switch, but the move failed to materialise. The forward is now seeking a transfer that would provide Champions League action, with Barcelona reportedly his preferred destination.
The Catalan giants are understood to favour bringing Rashford in on a temporary basis. The England international's deal running until 2028, which sees him pocket £315,000 per week, could complicate any potential departure.
Speaking before his loan spell, Rashford acknowledged his desire to find fresh pastures. "For me, personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps," he said.
"When I leave it's going to be "no hard feelings". You're not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.
"If I know that a situation is already bad I'm not going to make it worse.
"I've seen how other players have left in the past and I don't want to be that person. When I leave I'll make a statement and it will be from me."