Alejandro Garnacho has fired a dig at Rúben Amorim following his £40 million move from Manchester United to Chelsea in August.
Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United in the summer transfer window, completing a £40 million switch to Premier League rivals Chelsea.
The 21-year-old had broken into United’s first team under Ralf Rangnick, established himself as a key figure under Erik ten Hag, and continued to feature following Rúben Amorim’s appointment.
However, after struggling to find a defined role in Amorim’s system and amid rising tensions following the Europa League final, Garnacho chose to move on.
He was among five United players excluded from first-team training by the head coach after reportedly expressing a desire to leave Old Trafford, though representatives for some of them disputed those claims.
Garnacho fires ‘style of play’ shot at Amorim
It was clear from the opening set of fixtures under Amorim last season that Garnacho’s favoured role, as a touchline left winger who could beat his man, no longer existed at the club, with the head coach instead favouring players who could play more centrally.
Under Amorim, the squad’s wing-backs were often the ones who controlled the touchline, with the forward line playing closer together.
This did not suit Garnacho’s game, and in a new interview, the winger has aimed a shot toward Amorim regarding his style of play and that of his new boss, Enzo Maresca. The 21-year-old has revealed that part of his reason for signing with Chelsea was how the Italian planned to deploy him in the side.
“Obviously, in my last season at [Manchester] United, with the new manager, there were a lot of changes in the situation at the club and it was a bit difficult,” Garnacho told Chelsea’s matchday programme ahead of their clash against Sunderland.
“I still played a lot of games last season, mainly from the start or sometimes from the bench. But when I spoke with this club, with the manager, it’s important also the style of play we have now.
“He explained a lot to me in a video call with him, so I think it was a very important move for me and an opportunity to improve as a player in a team like Chelsea.”
Garnacho’s departure has paved the way for Cunha
When it became clear toward the end of last season that Garnacho was almost certainly heading toward an exit, many felt this was a sign of United ‘giving up’ on their Academy players.
However, fast forward a few months, and it has become clear that the young winger leaving United for Chelsea was the right decision for all parties, because it allowed the club to integrate Matheus Cunha easily.
Read More: Rúben Amorim opens up on “really important” Man Utd duo who are going to be playing “every game”
Cunha signed from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a £62.5 million fee at the beginning of the transfer window, and has since become a bona fide fan favourite despite his lack of goal involvement, with the Liveprool win last weekend perfectly encapsulating his fantastic all-around game.
Often, one reason United fans are so attached to their Academy products is that the player is a fan of the club, but in Garnacho’s case, that was different. Cunha has admitted several times that he is a United fan from childhood, and has quickly adapted to the faithful Reds.
It was also a move that handed Amorim much more tactical flexibility. It will hopefully pay off long-term for the United boss, as Cunha is a clear immediate upgrade on his predecessor.
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