Alejandro Garnacho’s potential move to Chelsea has been a major talking point for a while now. While the move still hasn’t come to fruition, it does seem likely that the deal will take place before deadline day.
The Argentine youngster was once a fan favourite. He broke through under coach Ten Hag in 2022, providing a breath of freshness at a club in turmoil. However, 3 years later, the attacker has become unpopular among the fans and within the club. Garnacho has become one of the “outcasts” of the squad under Ruben Amorim, due to his consistently poor decisions on the pitch. Meanwhile, Garnacho’s attitude and his brother’s off-the-pitch antics have angered the fanbase, so much so that he has lost all of his backers at the club. His time at United is very much over as both he and the club agree that he will never play for them again.
Garnacho wants Chelsea
The first reports linking Chelsea to Garnacho appeared in January 2025. However, the move did not materialize then. Even so, the links have only strengthened during the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old remains a priority target for the London club, although no official bid has been made yet.
Garnacho is reportedly only thinking about Chelsea. Garnacho has given a message to United stating, “Chelsea or I stay here and don’t play football for 6-12 months”. The statement was not well-received by the fans.
Garnacho message to Man United: "Chelsea or I stay here and don't play Football for 6-12 months" (@FabrizioRomano on DAZN)
— Pys (@CFCPys) August 11, 2025
United reportedly valued the Argentine at £60 million at the beginning of the window. However, they reduced the asking price to £50 million in August, viewing the Madueke to Arsenal transfer as a benchmark. The Red Devils are approaching the end of the window with the winger still on their books, which isn’t ideal for them. This may give Chelsea leverage to negotiate a lower deal, as they remain the only club in the running for Garnacho. Chelsea’s position is strengthened by the fact that Garnacho only wants them. Hence, the Blues may not be forced to go way above their £30 million valuation of the winger.
Chelsea’s attacking revamp
Chelsea entered this summer with the goal of revamping its attack for the following season. As part of their revamp, they’ve already signed the likes of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap and Estevao Willian. They are now looking at Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons to reinforce the attack.
Chelsea’s priority signings of Xavi Simons and Alejandro Garnacho are both seemingly close to signing for the club. Similar to Garnacho, Xavi Simons only wants Chelsea. However, Chelsea would need to sell first before signing them to unlock the funds required to finance both operations.
Chelsea is reportedly going to make its official bid for Garnacho only after the sale of Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson, both of whom are on the exit ramp. As per Fabrizio Romano, Garnacho will almost certainly play for Chelsea, with Xavi Simons also very close; it’s just a matter of selling Nkunku first.
Does Chelsea need Garnacho?
Chelsea has introduced Bynoe-Gittens and Estevao to a squad consisting of the likes of Pedro Neto, Palmer and Tyrique George. Their other target, Xavi Simons, would easily be a certified starter if he signs. Signing Garnacho when they have such depth in the wings may lead to overcrowding, a problem Chelsea are no strangers to. Additionally, Garnacho has been out of form and widely scrutinized for a while now. Considering Chelsea’s recent winger transfer history, signing Garnacho for a huge fee wouldn’t fill the fans with confidence. However, Garnacho could just be a victim of his environment. A move away from United could help Garnacho utilize his full potential. Signing him is a gamble by Chelsea, but it may pay off.
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