After his £40million move to Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho will be looking to prove his critics wrong after run-ins with Manchester United managers and criticism from ex-players
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho will be looking to prove his critics wrong after joining Chelsea(Image: Eurasia Sport Images, Getty Images)
Alejandro Garnacho is hoping to revitalise his career at Chelsea after his departure from Manchester United.
The 21-year-old's departure was anticipated following the winger's outburst at being benched for May's Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Ruben Amorim was unimpressed by that reaction, with Garnacho spending pre-season training separately from United's first-team squad after expressing his wish to leave. Chelsea finalised the acquisition of the Argentina international for £40million, with the Red Devils securing a 10 per cent sell-on clause.
Garnacho also had a strained relationship with Amorim's predecessor, Erik ten Hag, previously liking a critical social media post regarding the Dutchman. While few question his talent, concerns remain about his mentality, which Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will be eager to address. Here's a summary of what managers, colleagues and pundits have said about the enigmatic South American...
Amorim's public putdown
Amorim had grown so frustrated with Garnacho that he allegedly rebuked him in front of team-mates. Before the final league match of last season - prior to Garnacho's Europa League final complaints - his manager reportedly told him during a training session: "You better hope you have a good agent this summer," reported the The Athletic.
By that stage, the course of his United career had already been set, with Garnacho seeking a move away from the club. The relationship between the head coach and player deteriorated further when Garnacho spoke to the press following the crushing defeat to Spurs in Bilbao. He said: "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. 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
Garnacho's relationship with Ruben Amorim completely broke down(Image: PA)
Fernandes' criticism
Bruno Fernandes once gave a less-than-flattering assessment of Garnacho's attitude after he scored the winning goal in a Europa League match against Real Sociedad in 2022.
Speaking to BT Sport, Fernandes said: "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."
In light of what has transpired since then, that performance turned out to be a false dawn. Fernandes did his utmost to cultivate the clear natural talent Garnacho has, but ultimately his calls for professionalism were wasted.
Bruno Fernandes speaks with Alejandro Garnacho
Bruno Fernandes questioned Garnacho's attitude(Image: Getty Images)
Carragher's mobile tirade
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher referenced Garnacho while criticising an element of today's game that he "can't stand." It wasn't related to his transfer or displays on the field, but rather his mobile phone usage.
Following confirmation of his switch to Stamford Bridge, Garnacho observed the home encounter with Fulham from the stands, where he was seen using his phone just eight minutes after kick-off.
Carragher moaned: "You know what I didn't like? Did you see the game [against Fulham], when they go to the people in the stands and they are on their phones with the game going on?
"I can't stand it. And it's not just him by the way, but I can't stand it. So it's a miss for that. For sitting on his phone during an important game for Chelsea."
Alejandro Garnacho
Garnacho was caught on his phone instead of watching his new Chelsea team-mates(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
'Disrespectful' claim
Ex-United defender Paul Parker didn't mince his words regarding Garnacho after his Chelsea move, branding his behaviour "disrespectful." The former England full-back told MyBettingSites: "His conduct on and off the pitch was disrespectful.
"All he wanted to do was score a goal or have a near miss so he could act like Ronaldo. Now he's gone to a club where there's a lot more ego. He will alienate himself or it'll be a battle there.
"United fans backed him when he was going through things both on and off the field. His brother was tweeting things and they backed him and he said nothing. He's stuck two fingers up at the club that nursed him."
Garnacho will now look to challenge his critics and alter the public's perception of his conduct as he begins a new chapter at Stamford Bridge.