Alejandro Garnacho is holding out for a move to Chelsea, and it is a risky strategy.
Manchester United aimed to offload Alejandro Garnacho during the transfer window, and there is no guarantee a deal gets concluded before the deadline.
While United and Garnacho are aligned that his future lies elsewhere, that is where the common ground ends.
United have a firm valuation of Garnacho at around £50 million, a bar some believe should be higher considering some of the transfers concluded this window.
Those include Anthony Elanga moving to Newcastle for £55 million and Noni Madueke signing for Arsenal for £50 million.
Chelsea have refused to pay United’s asking price and value Garnacho at around £30 million.
Alejandro Garnacho left winger of Manchester United and Argentina lament a failed occasion during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester United and Athletic Club at Old Trafford on May 8, 2025
Photo by Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Alejandro Garnacho is an investment opportunity for Chelsea
Alejandro Garnacho has his heart set on Chelsea, wanting to stay and play in the Premier League, and even turning down an approach from Bayern Munich.
The problem that Garnacho does not realise, is that Chelsea do not value him like the player he believes he actually is.
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Garnacho is a player who felt he was too good to be left out of the Europa League Final, and blew up his United career by criticising head coach Ruben Amorim in the aftermath.
Yet Chelsea clearly have their own concerns, trying to land Garnacho at a low price.
This is because Chelsea view Garnacho as more than a footballer. They view the winger as an investment opportunity.
Chelsea have been prolific in the transfer market in recent seasons, but they have also been remarkably good sellers, keeping their net spend in check.
Garnacho has great potential, and if Chelsea buy him at around £30 million, there is a strong chance they will make a good profit on him in the future.
Players Chelsea made a profit on
Noni Madueke is one of the recent examples of players Chelsea have bought and sold for a profit. They paid PSV just £20 million, and despite him scoring only seven Premier League goals last season, sold him to Arsenal for around £50 million, more than double.
Djordje Petrovic was sold to Bournemouth for £25 million one year after he was bought for only £14 million.
BBC Sport report Chelsea are also set to sell Renato Veiga to Villarreal for £30 million, just one year after buying him from Basel for £12 million.
And the latest looks set to be Nicolas Jackson, with Chelsea seeking a buyer at a profit on the £30 million they paid for him.
There’s no wonder Chelsea are keen to get their hands on Alejandro Garnacho for £30 million. This is a player who has represented Argentina and has shown he can influence games at the top level, even scoring in the FA Cup Final.
Chelsea only need an average season out of Garnacho in 2025-26, and his value would increase on the £30 million fee they hope to land.
Add in a long contract and his young age, and by 2026 or 2027 at the latest, Chelsea will be looking to flip Garnacho for a bigger price.
This is what Garnacho is missing, set to make the biggest mistake of his career. Amid his desire to sock it to United and prove his point to Ruben Amorim, he is being courted by a club who view him as an investment first, and a footballer second.
And before he knows it, he will be sold on to another club, and Chelsea will have already signed his replacement.