Alejandro Garnacho has finally completed his move from Manchester United to Chelsea, with the Argentine winger having been frozen out at Old Trafford
11:30, 04 Sep 2025
Alejandro Garnacho is surplus to requirements at Manchester United
Alejandro Garnacho has finally left Manchester United after months of speculation(Image: Jake Kirkman/Shutterstock)
Bruno Fernandes once admitted Alejandro Garnacho didn't "have the best attitude" when he emerged from the Manchester United youth setup.
The 21-year-old has now severed ties with the club entirely after finally completing his switch to Chelsea. The Argentine winger penned his maiden professional deal with the Red Devils back in 2022 following his arrival from Atletico Madrid two years earlier.
Yet United skipper Fernandes suggested Garnacho's approach wasn't ideal when he stepped up to the senior squad under Erik ten Hag. Speaking in November 2022, following Garnacho's match-winning strike in a Europa League group encounter against 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 was handed plenty of opportunities during his debut campaign for the Red Devils, notching three goals and two assists in the Premier League across 19 outings.
Bruno Fernandes made his thoughts on Alejandro Garnacho clear
Bruno Fernandes made his thoughts on Alejandro Garnacho clear(Image: Getty Images)
While the youngster initially appeared to feature in Ruben Amorim's thinking when the Portuguese manager took over from Ten Hag, circumstances shifted as 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 half of the 1-0 reverse in Bilbao.
Following the match, he told reporters: "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."
He also slammed the club's Premier League campaign as they ended up in 15th position, declaring: "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."
Chelsea Unveil New Signing Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho is delighted to have joined Chelsea(Image: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
According to The Athletic, Amorim reportedly warned 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, with the player subsequently making it known that Chelsea was his preferred destination.
Whilst the Blues were in no particular hurry to lodge a formal bid for Garnacho, they ultimately secured their target in the closing stages of the summer transfer window, paying £40million to prise him away from United on a lengthy deal running until 2032.
Posting on Instagram following his exit, Garnacho was swift to express gratitude to the Red Devils and their fans for his spell in the north west. He penned: "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. 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 message, with Kobbie Mainoo commenting: "All the best bro," while former Red Devils defender Sam Murray added: "All the best hermano," and stars including Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Fernandes showed their support by liking the post.
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Chelsea supporters will need to be patient before witnessing Garnacho in action for his new side, due to the ongoing international break. The Blues resume their campaign on Saturday, September 13, when they travel to face Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.