Alejandro Garnacho showed his true colours as Manchester United lost 1-0 to Arsenal on Sunday in what was a low-scoring and low-quality affair at Old Trafford
10:58, 18 Aug 2025
Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United
Alejandro Garnacho has been linked with a Man Utd exit(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United's 2025/26 season got off to a shaky start with a slim defeat to Arsenal on Sunday.
Despite an encouraging performance, Ruben Amorim's squad failed to capitalise on their opportunities at Old Trafford. The game's only goal came in the first half from a header by Riccardo Calafiori.
United created several chances, with new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo both coming tantalisingly close. There were numerous positives for Amorim to build upon in the upcoming weeks.
However, there was one overwhelming negative as Alejandro Garnacho's absence hung over the Theatre of Dreams.
As anticipated, Garnacho was conspicuously absent from Old Trafford for Sunday's match amidst ongoing doubts about his place in the squad. Despite his talent, there doesn't appear to be any discontent among fans regarding his omission.
Alejandro Garnacho's portrait outside Old Trafford
Alejandro Garnacho's portrait outside Old Trafford was graffitied with a massive X(Image: Getty Images)
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Prior to the showdown with the Gunners, a photographer snapped a picture of Garnacho outside Old Trafford that had been defaced.
It seems one fan has marked the forward's image with an 'X' across his face.
The Argentine seems destined to leave Manchester this summer, with Chelsea emerging as the favourites for his signature.
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Three Champions League clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid, decided against signing the forward this summer.
All three clubs conducted thorough assessments of Garnacho before opting to pursue other attacking options. Both Spurs and Arsenal have shown interest in Crystal Palace's star player Eberechi Eze, with Arsenal also bringing in winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea.
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Meanwhile, Spurs have been in talks about the potential purchase of Savinho from Manchester City. Atletico Madrid, Garnacho's former club, considered re-signing the Argentinian international but instead opted for fellow winger Alex Baena from Villarreal.