Alejandro Garnacho is once again training away from the first team, this time at Chelsea. And Manchester United stands to get paid for it.
According to reports, new Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has separated Garnacho from the main squad at Cobham. The Argentine winger is being told to find a new club just twelve months after leaving Manchester in a very public, very messy falling out with Ruben Amorim.
Fabrizio Romano reported Monday that Chelsea values Garnacho at roughly $57 million for clubs outside England and around $54 million for Premier League suitors. The Blues want a permanent sale, not a loan — even though AS Roma has reportedly offered a temporary move.
How we got here
Let’s rewind. Garnacho joined Chelsea last summer for $48 million after a spectacular blowup with Amorim. The breaking point came when Amorim chose Mason Mount to start the Europa League final over Garnacho. United lost to Tottenham 1-0, and Garnacho told reporters after the game that he’d have to “reassess” his future. Amorim responded by telling the entire squad — in a team meeting — that Garnacho was free to leave.
The winger was immediately placed in United’s so-called bomb squad, training away from the first team alongside Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia. Napoli pushed hard for him, but Garnacho wanted London. He got his wish.
It hasn’t gone well. Across 33 appearances in the Premier League and Champions League, Garnacho managed only two goals. His worst performance of the season came against his old club — United beat Chelsea 1-0 in April, with Garnacho struggling all afternoon.
The Alonso factor
Xabi Alonso came in this summer planning to install the 3-4-2-1 system that made Bayer Leverkusen the story of Europe. There’s no obvious slot in that setup for a winger like Garnacho. So he’s back in limbo. Same treatment, different training ground, different blue shirt.
Romano says Chelsea is working “closely” with Garnacho’s representatives to find an exit. The winger is not training under Alonso or with the first team. It’s the exact same script from Manchester, just transplanted to west London.
United’s quiet win
Here’s where it gets smart. When INEOS negotiated Garnacho’s sale to Chelsea last year, they slipped in a 10% sell-on clause. If Chelsea gets its $54 million asking price, United pockets $5.4 million. For a club sweating every dollar in a tight window, that’s real money. Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada will take it.
Garnacho might not have worked out for Chelsea. But for United, this saga keeps delivering. Two summers in a row now, a player who forced his way out has brought cash back through the door. That’s not bad business for a club that spent years getting the math wrong.
Leave a Comment