Alejandro Garnacho has left Manchester United for Chelsea after five years at Old Trafford, following a falling out with Ruben Amorim at the end of last season
Bruno Fernandes speaks with Alejandro Garnacho
Bruno Fernandes made his early opinion of Alejandro Garnacho clear(Image: Michael Regan, Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes revealed that Alejandro Garnacho didn't "have the best attitude" when he emerged from the Manchester United youth system.
The 21-year-old has now severed ties with the club entirely after finally completing his switch to Chelsea. The Argentine winger penned his first professional deal with the Red Devils back in 2022 following his arrival from Atletico Madrid two years earlier.
Nevertheless, United skipper Fernandes suggested Garnacho lacked the proper attitude when he progressed to the senior squad under Erik ten Hag. Speaking in November 2022, following Garnacho's match-winning strike in a Europa League group stage clash with Real Sociedad, Fernandes told BT Sport: "He was good but he knows we expect a lot from him.
"He's still really young, doing really well. At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best. On the [pre-season] tour he did not have the best attitude. That's why he didn't get his chance until now. He's getting his chances because he's training better, he's having the correct attitude."
Garnacho enjoyed plenty of opportunities during his debut campaign for the Red Devils, notching three goals and two assists in the Premier League across 19 outings. While the youngster also appeared set to feature in Ruben Amorim's plans when the Portuguese manager took over from Ten Hag, circumstances shifted as the summer approached, reports the Mirror.
Amorim's choice to consider Garnacho expendable at Old Trafford followed the winger's public criticism of being dropped for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho was only introduced during the second period of the 1-0 loss in Bilbao.
After the match, he told the media: "Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today – I don't know. I'm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next."
Ruben Amorim speaks with Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho had a falling out with Ruben Amorim
He also condemned the club's Premier League efforts as they finished in 15th, saying: "Obviously it's hard for everyone. Our season was s***. We didn't beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don't score goals, you always need more."
According to The Athletic, Amorim reportedly told Garnacho: "You better hope you have a good agent this summer," during a training ground conversation before United's final fixture of the campaign against Aston Villa, after which the player made it evident that Chelsea was his preferred destination.
While the Blues were in no particular hurry to lodge a formal bid for Garnacho, they ultimately secured their target during the closing stages of the summer transfer window, parting with £40million to acquire him from United on a lengthy deal running until 2032.
Posting on Instagram after his exit, Garnacho was swift to express gratitude to the Red Devils and their fans for his period in the north west. He wrote: "Dear Mánchester. After an unforgettable five years, this special chapter in my life now comes to a close. We have created moments that will stay with me forever, and I'm very grateful for this.
Alejandro Garnacho holds up a Chelsea shirt
Alejandro Garnacho has signed for Chelsea(Image: Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
"To the coaches, staff, and my teammates, thank you for believing in me. Every time I wore the badge, I gave everything I had. I leave proud of what we achieved together and excited for what's to come. Wishing the club nothing but success for the future, while I look forward to giving my all in the next chapter of my career."
Several of Garnacho's United colleagues were swift to respond to the post, with Kobbie Mainoo commenting: "All the best bro," and ex-Red Devils defender Sam Murray added: "All the best hermano," while the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Fernandes liked the post.
Chelsea supporters will have to bide their time before they see Garnacho in action for his new team, due to the ongoing international break. The Blues are set to return to the pitch on Saturday, 13 September, when they take on Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.