Manchester United are accelerating their movement in the transfer window as the market enters its final three weeks, with the first monumental domino set to fall soon.
Having signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, an argument can be made that Man Utd have already exceeded expectations in the market.
However, their business is not done yet, as evidenced by their interest in Carlos Baleba, who wants to move to Old Trafford.
Having spent over £200m already, United need to make some sales to fund a move for Baleba, and the most lucrative one has just reached its final stages, as per Fabrizio Romano.
Rasmus Hojlund of Manchester United celebrates scoring a goal with Alejandro Garnacho
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Alejandro Garnacho moving closer to exit
It is a saga that has stretched unexpectedly long because Alejandro Garnacho didn’t want to go anywhere else except Chelsea, and Chelsea looked at him as a cheap gamble late on and nothing more.
However, the player’s stubbornness seems to have won out, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the player’s move to Chelsea is in the ‘final stages’ now.
Garnacho had agreed on personal terms with Chelsea earlier, but the club-to-club talks remain the biggest hurdle.
United wouldn’t want to get ripped off by Chelsea, so Garnacho agreeing on personal terms really means nothing for his move as far as United are concerned.
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Romano says on his YouTube channel that Chelsea are now ‘accelerating’ talks for the player, and his feeling is that the player will join Chelsea now.
He said: “Chelsea and Man Utd are now in active talks to reach an agreement for Alejandro Garnacho. The contract for the player is done 100% already. Chelsea will accelerate now. Garnacho will become a Chelsea player in the summer transfer window. We’re entering the final stages. Garnacho, Chelsea player, very soon.”
Garnacho is a case of addition by subtraction
Man Utd fans will rightly be annoyed if the transfer fee for Garnacho is anywhere near the £40m mark that has been reported around.
To take Chelsea’s own example, Noni Madueke, who is older than Garnacho with far less pedigree in the Premier League, went for nearly £55m.
The circumstances around Garnacho are extremely different, with the player burning all bridges with the club, but that should also make United determined to stand firm.
They need to send a message that a player can’t go scorched earth at the club to force through a move at a lower price than what he would usually go for.
However, even if they get just £40m for him, it is a case of addition by subtraction, since United stand to benefit twofold from his sale.
Firstly, his sale counts as pure profit in the books, so it could be the boost needed to land Carlos Baleba this summer instead of the next one.
Arguably, even more important is the fact that simply removing him from the dressing room will have a galvanising effect, since the spectre of his antics hovered over a club wanting to start a new era.