Alejandro Garnacho’s future has been up in the air all summer, but the Argentina international’s heart has always been set on a Premier League switch.
Ruben Amorim made it very clear to Alejandro Garnacho that he was not part of his plans when the forward was included in a list of five Manchester United players to be exiled before pre-season.
As a result, Garnacho has not played for United since the Europa League final defeat in May. It appears as though Amorim gave up on the 21-year-old after his team came up short against Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao.
Garnacho has been frozen out of United’s first team since then, having not featured in the opening three matches of the 2025/26 season.
Chelsea now agreed a deal for Garnacho, who has prioritised a move to another Premier League club after attracting interest from Serie A champions Napoli.
Garnacho has until Monday’s deadline to complete a move away from Old Trafford, but we are going to take a look at why a loan deal would have made the most sense, as well as two separate reasons for selling the academy graduate.
Chelsea target Alejandro Garnacho reacts during the Europa League final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the San Mames Stadium in 2025 in Bilbao, Spain.
Photo by Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Why sending Alejandro Garnacho on loan made most sense
Hedge bets on manager: One reason why it would make sense to keep Garnacho is if there’s a manager change. There is a chance a new manager may want to play with wingers rather than wing-backs.
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Garnacho failed to perform in Amorim’s system last season and the Portuguese coach made up his mind about the former Atletico Madrid starlet before pre-season began.
There may be no way back for Garnacho if Amorim turns things around at United and keeps his job, but these situations can change quickly in football.
No playing against United: Another factor to consider is that by loaning Garnacho to Chelsea, he would be unable to play against United this season.
United will host Chelsea on September 20, 2025, before travelling to Stamford Bridge in April for the second league meeting.
Time to sell Garnacho now
Get the funds in now: There will be United fans who won’t want to entertain a loan deal to Chelsea because Ineos have tried to generate funds from transfers this season, despite failing to sell any of their unwanted players.
Ineos would prefer to get the money in now because there are no guarantees they will get it in 12 months’ time.
Attitude means there is no way back: Moreover, Garnacho’s attitude has been regularly questioned since he broke into the first team under Erik ten Hag, who got more out of the talented winger on the pitch than Amorim.
United also need a cultural reset. That means getting rid of any personalities who will negatively impact the mood in the dressing room, with Garnacho appearing to be a main culprit.