Alejandro Garnacho pushed to leave Manchester United for Chelsea – and the move has not worked out.
It is a remarkable statistic that Alejandro Garnacho made more appearances than any Manchester United player in 2024/25.
Unfortunately his campaign was a case of quantity over quality.
Poor performances especially late in the campaign saw him dropped for the Europa League Final, which sparked his angry outbursts that led to his exit.
Garnacho was unhappy not being a regular starter, and was anxious to make a change. Head coach Ruben Amorim was eager to push him out the door.
Now with Argentina naming their latest World Cup squad, it is clear that Garnacho’s career move has backfired.
Alejandro Garnacho of Argentina gestures during the FIFA
Photo by Manuel Cortina/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Was Garnacho’s ‘attitude’ the issue, or is he just not suited to the Premier League’s top level?
The grass is not always greener…
Garnacho stats
Getty Images
Alejandro Garnacho’s World Cup dream is almost over
Manchester United supporters remember Alejandro Garnacho’s winning goal against Fulham in the final game before the mid-season 2022 World Cup.
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Back then he was a player with unlimited potential, who was unlucky there was not a World Cup taking place in 2023 or 2024, when he could have more time to build a case for inclusion.
Not to worry, surely by 2026 there would be enough time for Garnacho to solidify his status in the Argentina squad as part of their next generation?
Garnacho made his Argentina debut in 2023 and first start in March 2024. But recently it has gone cold.
He has eight caps for Argentina in total, but the last one came in November 2024.
Garnacho was not selected for Argentina’s World Cup qualifiers in June 2025, and with this coming soon after his Europa League Final snub, his decision to leave Manchester United was made up.
The decision to depart United may have been right, but his choice to join Chelsea was the wrong move.
Garnacho has not been included in any of the four squads named by Lionel Scaloni during 2025/26. It is 18 months since he was last called up.
The latest Argentina squad for March 2026 does not feature Garnacho, and it looks like his World Cup dream is over. It is not a surprise.
Scaloni’s decision is reflective of Garnacho’s poor form for Chelsea.
Here’s a look at how the table currently stands… where will United finish?
Garnacho’s Chelsea struggles
Alejandro Garnacho has scored one Premier League goal for Chelsea in 20 appearances. It is not the type of form he needed to stake a claim for an international recall. His only league goal came back in October.
Chelsea are a team in bad form at the moment, and are currently on a trajectory to miss out on Champions League football.
Garnacho had a chance to join Bayern Munich last summer. He rejected the offer, deciding that Chelsea were the only club he wanted to sign with.
His move has not worked out at all, and the opinion that matters most is Lionel Scaloni’s. The Argentina boss is not at all impressed.
Garnacho will soon have to rebuild to target World Cup 2030. And by that point – who knows who he will be playing for?
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