Alejandro Garnacho is outshining Manchester United's Mason Mount this season following the Argentine winger's switch to Chelsea. Garnacho moved to Stamford Bridge in August for £40million after his bust-up with Ruben Amorim following the Europa League final. The 21-year-old believed he deserved more playing time in that final, and after expressing his displeasure publicly, Amorim responded by declaring in a squad meeting: "You better hope you have a good agent this summer."
It proved an acrimonious departure for the winger who had been at Old Trafford since joining the academy in 2020. Now plying his trade at Chelsea, Garnacho is starting to settle after a sluggish beginning in west London. A player who completed the opposite journey, from Chelsea to United, is Mount.
The England international, who was brought in under Erik ten Hag for £60m, hasn't replicated the form at Old Trafford that he once displayed with Chelsea. Admittedly, Mount has suffered misfortune with injuries.
Five separate fitness problems have seen the 26-year-old miss just over 50 matches for United, but when he has appeared this season, he has managed just one goal and one assist in nine appearances.
Garnacho meanwhile has notched two goals and two assists in his 10 outings for Chelsea. Both assists arrived in Chelsea's 3-0 triumph over Wolves on Saturday. United have an unfortunate recent track record of offloading players, only for those individuals to then flourish at different clubs.
One of the most notable examples is Scott McTominay. Since moving to Napoli for £25m last season, the Scotland international has emerged as one of the Italian side's standout performers.
He was crowned Serie A MVP for the 2024/25 campaign and secured 18th place in the 2025 Ballon d'Or standings after spearheading Napoli's charge to their fourth Italian championship triumph.
Garnacho's tale at Chelsea hasn't yet reached McTominay's heights.Nevertheless, what it might develop into represents a harsh wake-up call for Amorim regarding Mount's value to his squad.
United's No. 7 has demonstrated tactical flexibility under Amorim's stewardship. He has occasionally operated as a left-sided number 10, left-winger, and even as a false nine.
The capacity to switch positions without significant detriment is something the United boss prizes enormously given his distinctive formations. At the end of 2024 Amorim openly expressed his appreciation for Mount when he declared: "I have to tell you I love that kid.
"The first thing is he is working really hard. And then you have to understand the human also. You can look in his eyes that he wants this so bad. And this is the most important thing for me.."
Mount remains youthful and possesses ample time to reclaim any diminished form this campaign.
His deal with United runs until 2028, and with Amorim having already demonstrated his affection for the midfielder, the 26 year old appears destined for further chances. However, Amorim will certainly demand visible progress in the near future.