Alejandro Garnacho had it all at Manchester United. Then he threw it all away.
Manchester United had high hopes for Alejandro Garnacho when he broke into the team. How could expectations not be sky high?
Garnacho won the FA Youth Cup at Manchester United in 2022 before forcing his way into the team as a regular. He then scored in the FA Cup Final win in 2024 over City. It was the dream rise.
12 months later he was gone.
Garnacho’s fall from hero to zero was rapid, and it was also self-inflicted.
Bruno Fernandes gives instructions to Alejandro Garnacho
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Garnacho accelerated his own exit
In normal circumstances, Manchester United fans would have been patient with an academy graduate who scored a vital goal in a cup final. But Garnacho had worn out his welcome.
There were three parts of Garnacho’s downfall. One was his inability to adapt to Ruben Amorim’s system, and that was the most forgivable, especially in the context of the head coach’s subsequent exit.
The second was the regression in his performances. Garnacho was wasteful in front of goal, lacking a clinical edge, and his game showed signs of going backwards.
And the third and most unforgivable was the off-pitch immaturity. This bubbled up after the Europa League Final when he hit out at the manager after being left out of the starting line-up.
More United News
It further exploded when Garnacho posted an image wearing an Aston Villa shirt in the summer. It was the kind of nonsense Manchester United fans did not want to have to deal with.
Garnacho was determined to join rivals Chelsea, where he has been finding out the grass is not always greener.
Was Garnacho’s ‘attitude’ the issue, or is he just not suited to the Premier League’s top level?
The grass is not always greener…
Garnacho stats
Getty Images
Manchester United face Chelsea this weekend at Stamford Bridge in a huge game in the race for Champions League places.
Since he signed with Chelsea, Garnacho had been quite abrasive in tone towards Manchester United, but in a recent interview he struck a more cordial approach.
In an interview with the Premier League, Garnacho took ownership of his errors, admitting that he ‘did some bad things’ during his final months at the club.
Why? The reason could be quite simple, Garnacho may be realising what a big mistake he made by blowing up his United career.
The grass has not been greener at Chelsea. He has played irregularly and scored only one Premier League goal. None of Chelsea’s summer signings have performed well, and the club have gone backwards this season.
Garnacho will not make the Argentina squad for the World Cup, and last week he was even linked with a loan move to River Plate.
The response from the winger has been to cause more social media controversy.
The Mail reported that Garnacho wiped all Chelsea related content from his TikTok account, and replaced it with Manchester United videos, even finding a clip from a fan who wants him to return to Old Trafford.
This is not the type of headlines that Garnacho should be creating, and speaks to the same immaturity that saw him wreck his United career.
It comes just after Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez had been left out of the side for expressing a wish to move to Madrid in the future.
Could Chelsea take action against Garnacho for this? The fact the question is even being asked, speaks volumes. He should have learned by now not to create unnecessary distractions.
This activity only serves to underline why Manchester United fans were happy to see him leave.
What concerns you most ahead of Manchester United’s fixture with Chelsea?
Michael Carrick in suit for Manchester United
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Garnacho set to face United at Stamford Bridge
Manchester United visit Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend. This is a date Alejandro Garnacho would have had circled on his calendar.
Ruben Amorim’s sacking as Manchester United head coach does take some of the fire out of the situation.
It may also explain why Garnacho took a more conciliatory tone in his interview.
What if he had just left Manchester United on loan for the season?
With the club now needing a winger, he could have returned for a second chance. The manner of his departure ensured this will not be the case.
Garnacho was an unused substitute when Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford earlier in the season.
And that’s the big ‘if’ this time around too. Will current manager Liam Rosenior select him to face his former side?
Garnacho’s latest social media activity asks troubling questions about his mindset and focus.
This time he is Chelsea’s problem to deal with.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox