Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea reacts during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between Chelsea FC and Pafo
Alejandro Garnacho has struggled in his time at Chelsea since joining from Manchester United (Image: Getty Images)
Alejandro Garnacho was previously earmarked to lead Manchester United's forward line into a fresh and more prosperous chapter. The Argentine arrived at United in 2020 aged just 16 from Atletico Madrid. Intent on emulating his hero Cristiano Ronaldo, the youngster established himself in the senior squad, featuring alongside the legendary Portuguese striker and thrilling Old Trafford supporters with his performances on the flank.
Garnacho flourished under Erik ten Hag and played a crucial role in temporarily securing the Dutchman's position, scoring against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Alongside Kobbie Mainoo, he was regarded as a cornerstone player for the club's future, yet surprisingly departed for Premier League rivals Chelsea last August in a £40million transfer.
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Express Sport now examines how such a gifted player came to leave United, his present connection with the club and his progress in west London.
Acrimonious departure
The catalyst for Garnacho's exit from United was Ruben Amorim's appointment. Initial tensions between player and manager surfaced in December 2024 when the Argentina international was omitted, alongside Marcus Rashford, from a Manchester Derby squad following reportedly substandard training performances.
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Their relationship deteriorated as the campaign progressed, and he was omitted from the starting XI for last season's Europa League final, which United lost. He publicly criticised the decision, which virtually confirmed he would play no further role under the Portuguese manager, as he was consigned to the 'bomb squad' over the summer and sold to Chelsea.
Garnacho made 144 appearances for United, scoring 26 goals and registering 22 assists. He departed United with a farewell message that suggested he retained some affection for his former club.
However, he also displayed little regret about leaving the red half of Manchester in acrimonious circumstances. Garnacho even implied that leaving United was a necessary step for his progression.
When asked whether he harboured any regrets, Garnacho replied: "No."
Pushed on whether he felt sadness about how his stint at United ended, he once more said: "No."
He added: "Sometimes in life you need to change things to take a step forward or improve as a player. It was the right moment, and the right club. So it was an easy decision."
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho has had to spend time on Chelsea's bench this season. (Image: Getty)
Message to Fernandes
Despite his attitude towards the club, Garnacho appears to still value his friendship with several of his former team-mates. He seems to be monitoring United's fixtures closely, reportedly sharing his thoughts on Mainoo's own difficulties with Amorim earlier this season.
Following United's 3-2 victory against Arsenal in January, he echoed the squad's excitement across social media. After the match, United captain Fernandes posted several images from the fixture, including one alongside goalscorer Patrick Dorgu, who produced an impressive display.
He posted: "Ballon D'orgu," accompanied by a lovestruck emoji. This prompted Garnacho to respond with: "T best."
Chelsea struggles
Despite departing United for a substantial transfer fee, Garnacho's debut campaign at Chelsea has proved disappointing. He has found the net six times and contributed three assists across 29 outings, but demonstrated only sporadic moments of quality.
Following an underwhelming showing against relegation-threatened West Ham in January, Garnacho faced criticism from his own manager. Liam Rosenior said: "[He'd] be the first to say that maybe his performance wasn't to his level in that [West Ham] game, but there were many collective things. I know Garna is an outstanding player, that's why he's here."
Pundit Gary Neville also criticised the attacker whilst partially attributing blame to him for their 2-0 half-time deficit. The United legend added: "That left side of Chelsea was obliterated. Alejandro Garnacho is a player that divides opinion, I think, at times.
"A lot of people are questioning, is he top-class or where is he? Where is he in the pecking order? What was difficult to watch last night was a young player like that, who's gone to Chelsea and he looked shot to pieces in terms of his confidence on that left-hand side."
More recently, Alan Shearer has expressed his concerns about how readily Garnacho falls to the floor, suggesting it may indicate a lack of determination to truly influence matches.
On the BBC, Shearer appeared unimpressed by how effortlessly Garnacho hit the deck following a cross in the first half, commenting: "I'd love to be wrong, but I think if he shows more desire and strength, he gets on the end of that, rather than looking for a penalty, which it wasn't."
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