Garnacho has been told he can leave
Garnacho has been told he can leave
"Obviously as a footballer you are always going to listen and hear about some rumours, but I have a contract here until 2028 so I am happy here."
Uncertainty over Alejandro Garnacho's future at Manchester United has filled many column inches over the past few weeks. But the forward made clear he was happy at United just three weeks ago when speaking alongside Ruben Amorim ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao.
Plenty has changed since then. The 20-year-old hasn't started a United game since the 4-1 second leg win over Athletic. The defeats to West Ham and Chelsea were dead rubber Premier League games, but it seemed unlikely Amorim would throw Garnacho back into the starting XI against Tottenham in the Europa League final after nearly two weeks without a start. And so it proved.
Garnacho was named on the bench for the showpiece event, being brought on in the 70th minute of United's listless defeat. His frustration boiled over when speaking after the game.
"I played every round to help the team reach the final, and today I only got 20 minutes… I don’t know," he told ESPN Argentina.
"I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next. This season was s***, losing the final and not beating anyone in the league."
Now, it must be added that Garnacho is still only 20 and allowances should be made when players are speaking in the heat of the moment. But this isn't the first time the youngster has risked the wrath of his manager since his first-team breakthrough and there comes a point when a line must be drawn.
He was told he was free to leave the club following the outburst, and as much as he is a talented player who United should be keen to build a team around, if Amorim is going to build a squad capable of getting United back to where they want to be then character and professionalism will be key.
Nobody of a United persuasion wants to see a talented player like Garnacho leave the club, but if he can publicly declare his happiness at the club and then U-turn just weeks later, perhaps it's best for both parties to go their separate ways.
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