Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho has taken one step closer to leaving Old Trafford in the coming weeks, according to reports in England - with the Argentina seemingly telling friends that he is 'joining' Chelsea, with the clubs locked in talks over a potential deal to take him away from northern England after half a decade.
The report by talkSPORT understands that Garnacho has told friends that he is joining Chelsea, despite the two clubs so far failing to agree on a fee that would see him move to west London.
Report: Garnacho 'Tells Friends' he is Set to Join Chelsea
alejandro garnacho
Garnacho's antics, and a public feud with current Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim after United's loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final back in May, has seen him earmarked for a move away from Old Trafford all summer.
He's not been training with the first-team, highlighting that he has no future at the club, and now it is believed that Chelsea officials have instructed Garnacho to be patient and bide his time as they aim to sign him in the final two weeks of the transfer window.
Club-to-club talks are expected to accelerate in the coming days, with United quoting potentially interested clubs with a £50million price tag for their academy graduate, who joined them in October 2020 from Atletico Madrid.
However, Chelsea believe that said fee can be negotiated further as a result of Garnacho's poor relationship with Amorim, which means that his value is only going to diminish in the future - forcing United's hand so that they don't risk losing him for even cheaper next summer, despite having three years left on his deal.
Garnacho was billed as one of the Premier League's best young players during his breakthrough campaign at Old Trafford, scoring three top-flight goals in 19 appearances at the age of just 18 under Erik ten Hag. A further seven league goals in his first full season at the Theatre of Dreams, including the Puskas Award winner against Everton, saw him become a highly-heralded player.
However, that stock has since decreased amid his willingness to get out of Old Trafford, and although a deal hasn't been done just yet, telling his friends that he is set to move to west London is a huge indicator that he's not far off a move to the Champions League outfit, who continue to develop under Italian gaffer Enzo Maresca with a spate of promising young signings.
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