Alejandro Garnacho played 19 minutes in the Europa League final and faces an uncertain future at Man United.
Comments
Sport
BILBAO, SPAIN - MAY 21: A dejected Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United FC reacts following the 1-0 defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
BILBAO, SPAIN - MAY 21: A dejected Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United FC reacts following the 1-0 defeat in the UEFA Europa League Final 2025 between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at Estadio San Mames on May 21, 2025 in Bilbao, Spain. (Photo by Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images)
Bruno Fernandes opened up on his United future after defeat in Bilbao(Image: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images )
Ruben Amorim has refused to get drawn into the futures of Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes at Manchester United.
Garnacho replaced Mason Mount in the 71st minute of the Europa League final against Tottenham, and he expressed his frustration when he spoke after the 1-0 defeat.
"Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don't know," said Garnacho. "The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club. I'm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards."
Earlier in the day, Garnacho uploaded a photo of himself scoring in last season's FA Cup final on Instagram. It appeared to suggest he'd been omitted from the starting XI, and Garnacho was confirmed to be on the bench at the Estadio de San Mames when the team news was revealed.
Fernandes has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer. United sources recently insisted they had no plans to sell Fernandes, but a huge offer from Al-Hilal might be difficult to turn down.
The 30-year-old looked crestfallen as he collected his runners-up medal after defeat to Tottenham, and he also spoke honestly about his future to journalists in the mixed zone after the game.
Speaking at his pre-Aston Villa press conference, Amorim was asked about the futures of Garnacho and Fernandes and said: "I always speak to my players, but the focus now is on the last game.
"I don't know what is going to happen. We have a plan and we prepared for both situations, with Champions League and without. We have an idea what type of squad we want, but now we have to focus on the last game and we will have time address all of those situations."
When asked whether the Europa League final had changed his opinion on some players, Amorim responded: "No, what changes is one less competition, that game in the middle of the week.
"You can manage the squad in a different way, so that rotation of the players, the depth of the squad, that changes completely if you have three or four competitions.
"That changes a little bit the plan, but not the way I look at my players just by looking at the final."
Chelsea and Napoli were both interested in signing Garnacho in the January transfer window.
Sales of academy graduates are classified as 'total profit' within Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Concerns have been raised about Garnacho's attitude. In February, he apologised to his United teammates after storming off down the tunnel at Old Trafford when he was substituted against Ipswich Town.
Fernandes will turn 31 in September and Al-Hilal might test United's stance on their captain after missing out on the signing of Mohamed Salah, who extended his Liverpool contract.
---
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we're dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don't miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day's biggest stories.
And finally, if you'd rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate.
Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.