Alejandro Garnacho’s transfer saga is competing with Jadon Sancho for the one to bring the most annoyance to Man Utd fans, but a forgotten detail in the former can make all the difference.
While Sancho is closing all doors possible, Alejandro Garnacho has opened just one – for Chelsea – even rejecting Bayern Munich recently.
That has weakened Man Utd’s stance in the negotiations, especially as his race at Old Trafford is completely run if Ruben Amorim gets his way.
Chelsea’s valuation of Garnacho is laughable at best, derisory at worst, but United can still come out as winners from this deal if they nail a forgotten detail.
Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United plays during the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester United at St. James's Park in Newcastle, United Kingdom, on April 13, 2025
Photo by Michael Driver | MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Chelsea’s play in Alejandro Garnacho transfer negotiations
Now that United have been backed into a corner by the player, and Chelsea are looking to take full advantage, one thing is clear.
United need to make the best out of a bad situation, which means squeezing out every last bit of cash for the player, and setting themselves up for the future in the process.
They are already hard at work trying the former, but the discussion in the media regarding the latter has been forgotten.
One look at Chelsea’s attacking ranks makes it clear what their play is with Garnacho.
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A club doesn’t wait until the end of the window to sign a player they desperately need, and then lowball the selling club for him.
For Chelsea, Garnacho is an asset they can buy on the cheap when he’s distressed, and then flip him later for a big profit.
Already, in this window, Chelsea have sold the likes of Noni Madueke, Djordje Petrovic, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Lesley Ugochukwu, and Armando Broja for a profit.
None of those players were regulars, and most were in poor form, but Chelsea managed to land a profit on each.
Their policy is clear. Young players bought for cheap are a market opportunity because there will always be somebody willing to take a bet on potential.
They make a hefty profit by buying youngsters and selling potential, which is why Garnacho is also making a mistake by becoming just another financial asset on their books.
For United, though, it’s none of their concern. What they need to ensure is that they land a cut of the pie when Chelsea’s plan for Garnacho is realised.
Man Utd need to add a hefty sell-on clause
Already this summer, United have benefitted from sell-on clauses that have landed them close to £20m on players sold earlier.
The likes of Anthony Elanga, Maxi Oyedele, and Alvaro Fernandez have effectively paid for the first instalment of Matheus Cunha’s fee.
If United are already selling Garnacho at a discounted price, then they should negotiate hard to add a hefty sell-on clause.
It’s a no-lose situation for the club then. Either Chelsea buy a discounted player now, but their cut decreases later because they’ll make a bigger profit on him, or they pay more now, which suits United just fine.
Either way, a sell-on clause, and a hefty one at that, is the key detail that can make all the difference for United in this transfer.
They should push for a “percentage of sale” clause first, and failing that, get at least 40% of the profit on a future sale.
Even if they sell the player for just £40m, they will get an additional 12m if Chelsea sell Garnacho for £70m, which is his obvious market value.
Considering they sold Madueke for north of £50m, it’s not even a far-fetched hypothetical, and that’s the worst-case scenario.
In the best case, they negotiate a percentage of sale instead of a percentage of profit on sale, and get an even bigger cash boost later.
United are backed into a corner, but insisting on a hefty sell-on clause is their way to come out swinging.