Chelsea has secured the services of Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho for a fee of £40 million.
Manchester United will also retain a 10 percent sell-on clause for the Argentine player, who found himself part of Ruben Amorim’s “bomb squad,” a group of individuals not participating in first-team training and left out of the club’s pre-season trip to the United States.
Chelsea’s interest in Garnacho traces back to the January transfer window, during which Napoli had also expressed a desire to sign him.
Although United originally aimed to fetch around £60 million for the 21-year-old, his transfer now ranks as the fourth largest sale in the club’s history, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku, and Angel Di Maria. This marks their highest sale in five years and the most lucrative for a player categorized as an academy product.
The proceeds from Garnacho’s transfer will help alleviate some of United’s summer expenditures, as Amorim has invested over £200 million on three additional forwards: Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko, while also pursuing a £17 million deal for goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
Chelsea had been on the lookout for another right-footed left winger to compete with Jamie Gittens, and Garnacho becomes the third winger to join Stamford Bridge this summer, alongside former Borussia Dortmund player and Estevao Willian.
Effectively, he takes the place of Jadon Sancho, whom they opted not to sign; Sancho was returned to United after a loan period in London, incurring a £5 million clause.
Garnacho, who made the move to United from Atletico Madrid for £420,000 in 2020, netted 26 goals across 144 appearances, including a critical goal in the 2024 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Nonetheless, his rapport with Amorim soured after he served as a substitute during May’s Europa League final loss to Tottenham, which led his brother Roberto to publicly criticize the United head coach on social media.
Following Garnacho’s departure, striker Rasmus Hojlund has also exited Old Trafford, having secured a move to Napoli.
Image Source: Alejandro Garnacho @ Instagram
