Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United for Chelsea last summer
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea
Alejandro Garnacho has struggled in his time at Chelsea since joining from Manchester United(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
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Alejandro Garnacho was once tipped to be the star of Manchester United's attack in a new chapter for the club. The winger went on to make 144 appearances for the Red Devils but opted to join Chelsea last summer.
The Argentine arrived at United in 2020 aged just 16 from Atletico Madrid. Eager to emulate his hero Cristiano Ronaldo, the teenager forced his way into the senior squad, featuring alongside the Portuguese legend himself and thrilling Old Trafford crowds with his electrifying wing play.
Under Erik ten Hag, Garnacho flourished and temporarily rescued the Dutchman's tenure with a crucial strike against Manchester City in the FA Cup final. Alongside Kobbie Mainoo, the winger was viewed as a cornerstone of United's future for years to come, yet he completed a £40million switch to Premier League rivals Chelsea last August.
Bitter exit
Garnacho's United career began unravelling with Ruben Amorim's appointment. Initial tensions between player and manager surfaced in December 2024 when the Argentina international was axed, alongside Marcus Rashford, for a Manchester Derby following claims he had performed poorly in training.
Their relationship deteriorated as the season progressed, culminating in his omission from the starting line-up for last season's Europa League final, which United lost. He was openly critical of the decision, effectively signalling the end of his time under the Portuguese manager and becoming one of several players destined to leave the club that summer.
Across his 144 appearances for United, Garnacho scored 26 goals and provided 22 assists. His farewell message upon leaving United suggested a degree of affection for his former club.
However, he expressed little remorse about the nature of his exit. Garnacho even implied that leaving United was a necessary step for his career progression.
When questioned if he had any regrets, Garnacho simply replied: "No." When further probed about whether he felt any sadness regarding the conclusion of his stint at United, he once again responded with a firm: "No."
Alejandro Garnacho and Ruben Amorim
Alejandro Garnacho was out of favour with Ruben Amorim at Manchester United(Image: Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)
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He continued: "Sometimes in life you need to change things to take a step forward or improve as a player," Garnacho explained. "It was the right moment, and the right club. So it was an easy decision."
Message to Bruno Fernandes
Despite his thoughts on the club, Garnacho appears to maintain close ties with several of his ex-team-mates. Following United's surprise 3-2 victory over Arsenal in January, he echoed the players' excitement on social media.
After the match, United captain Fernandes shared a few snaps from the game, including one with goalscorer Patrick Dorgu, who put in a stellar performance.
He captioned it: "Ballon D'orgu." This sparked a response from Garnacho, who replied with: "T best."
Bruno Fernandes speaks with Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho sent a message to Bruno Fernandes this season(Image: Michael Regan, Getty Images)
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Chelsea struggles
Despite leaving United for a hefty sum, Garnacho's debut season at Chelsea has been lacklustre. He has netted six goals and provided three assists in 29 appearances, showing sporadic flashes of brilliance rather than consistently dominating games.
After a disappointing display against relegation-threatened West Ham in January, Garnacho was criticised by his own manager. "[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," Liam Rosenior said.
Pundit Gary Neville also had a dig at the forward while partly blaming him for their 2-0 deficit at half-time. The United legend said: "That left side of Chelsea was obliterated. Alejandro Garnacho is a player that divides opinion, I think, at times.
Alejandro Garnacho of Chelsea
Garnacho is yet to become a key player for Chelsea(Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
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"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 concern about how readily Garnacho falls to the ground, suggesting the behaviour indicates a lack of determination to truly influence matches.
Commentating live on BBC One, Shearer wasn't impressed after Garnacho went down from a cross in the first half. He said: "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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