For as long as Alejandro Garnacho is a Chelsea player, the debate will continue: who got the better value from his transfer to Stamford Bridge, Enzo Maresca’s side or Manchester United, the club they signed him from?
The final answer will obviously take some time to emerge. Garnacho only completed his move three weeks ago. But the Argentine winger should get a chance to start giving us an indication on Saturday when the two teams face each other at Old Trafford in the Premier League (kick-off: 5.30pm BST/12.30pm ET).
This was a transfer long in the making and both clubs will inevitably, right now, say they are happy with how things turned out. The switch was completed two days before the summer window’s deadline, on August 30, with Chelsea agreeing to pay £40million ($53.9m at the current rate). A 10 per cent sell-on clause was also included, giving United a slice of any fee if/when Garnacho moves on from the west Londoners.
On the one hand, it represented the fourth-largest sale in United’s history and the biggest-ever fee they have ever received for a graduate of their youth academy. On the other, Chelsea acquired a 21-year-old homegrown player who contributed 48 goal involvements (26 goals, 22 assists) in 144 senior appearances for United, and has played eight times for Argentina’s world-champion national team. Having joined United’s academy from Atletico Madrid’s youth programme five years ago, there is also the added benefit that Garnacho needs no time to adapt to English football or to life in the UK.
Garnacho had been on Chelsea’s wish list for several months, partly because they saw him as an ideal fit for their system, which features two wide men. It was only in the summer window that they intensified their efforts to acquire him. The desire to recruit a right-footed left-winger was a priority because Mykhailo Mudryk has been suspended since December after testing positive for a banned substance. When that news emerged, Mudryk insisted he had “never knowingly used any banned substances”. In June, England’s Football Association formally charged the Ukraine international for violating its anti-doping rules, and the case has yet to be resolved.
Chelsea also decided against turning England international Jadon Sancho’s season-long loan from United into a purchase at the end of the last campaign. This left them needing to make two additions to fill the void on that left flank, especially with academy graduate Tyrique George looking to get more regular football elsewhere (a move to Fulham broke down on deadline day and the 19-year-old has stayed with Chelsea). One of the slots was filled quickly by the acquisition of Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund in July, but getting Garnacho over the line was always going to be a more prolonged process.
Garnacho, right, celebrates with goalscorer Moises Caicedo against Brentford last weekend (Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images)
United were determined to get a big fee, even though their bargaining position was negatively impacted because it was clear that the player was up for sale.
Garnacho’s relationship with their head coach Ruben Amorim was not good.
After being left out of the starting line-up for the all-Premier League Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur in May, Garnacho expressed his disappointment. Following United’s 1-0 defeat, in which he came on as a second-half substitute as his side chased an equaliser, he told reporters: “Up until the final, I played every round helping the team (starting 10 of the 14 ties), and today I play 20 minutes… I don’t know. The final will influence (his decision on his future) but (also) the whole season, the situation of the club.”
On the eve of the club’s final game of the season, against Aston Villa, a few days later, Amorim told Garnacho to find a new club. Speaking in front of the young winger’s team-mates, he said: “You better hope you have a good agent this summer.”
The break-up had been on the cards for several months, though.
Amorim did not take kindly to Garnacho’s body language as he prepared to come on as a late substitute against Viktoria Plzen in a European game in December, less than a month after he was appointed to succeed the sacked Erik ten Hag. Amorim felt the player was not listening to him as he issued instructions.
Chelsea were not put off by this or other incidents which made negative headlines (for example, in April last year, Ten Hag said that Garnacho had apologised to him after liking a social-media post criticising United’s then manager for substituting him at half-time of a game against Bournemouth, with United trailing 2-1 in a match that would end 2-2). United’s initial £70million asking price was given short shrift, too. In fact, Chelsea countered with a proposal worth £25m.
It helped that they had no real competition for his signature. Bayern Munich made an enquiry before signing fellow winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool but it did not get close to happening because Garnacho wanted to stay in the Premier League. Aston Villa also expressed an interest but he had no desire to go to the Birmingham-based club either. The player had actually been telling friends at the end of last season that his wish was to move to London, and to Chelsea in particular.
While there was a big difference in the two clubs’ respective valuations, the ongoing talks reflected the good relationship between United and Chelsea. During conversations, the topic of players Chelsea had for sale came up, such as forward duo Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku, yet that did not have an influence on proceedings regarding Garnacho. United did consider those two players at various points but ultimately opted to strengthen their attack with Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha instead. (Nkunku ended up being sold to Milan for £36.2million and Jackson has joined Bayern on loan for the rest of the season in a deal including a conditional obligation for the Germans to make the move permanent).
Chelsea were in no rush to get things done before the season got underway in mid-August, two weeks before the summer transfer window would close. They knew their best chance of getting the cheapest price possible was to wait until nearer the September 1 deadline. This is why United’s counter-proposal of a £50million deal did not bring an agreement either.
A compromise was reached with just a few days of the window remaining, but only in time for Garnacho to watch Chelsea’s third Premier League game of the new campaign, at home to Fulham on August 30, from a VIP box at Stamford Bridge rather than being involved in the action down on the pitch.
Garnacho, pictured playing against Chelsea for Manchester United last season (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Garnacho has made two substitute appearances for his new club since then, playing a combined 33 minutes. Having the opportunity to train at Chelsea during the international break this month — he hasn’t made an Argentina squad since November — was beneficial. Sources, speaking anonymously to The Athletic to protect relationships, say he has integrated very well. Being a friend of midfielder and sometime Chelsea captain Enzo Fernandez, an Argentina team-mate, has also made for a smooth introduction into the dressing-room dynamic.
His debut in the 2-2 draw away to neighbours Brentford last Saturday saw Garnacho play a part in the Moises Caicedo goal that put Chelsea 2-1 in front with five minutes of the 90 to go but it was then his sloppy marking at the back post which allowed Fabio Carvalho to score a stoppage-time equaliser. Four days later, in both sides’ Champions League opener, he came on with Chelsea trailing 3-1 at Bayern and tried to make a difference down the left but the scoreline remained the same until the final whistle.
Maresca has liked what he’s seen from the South American youngster.
When asked by The Athletic about the impact Garnacho has made so far, Chelsea’s head coach said: “He came on in the second half against Brentford and Bayern Munich, and was very good. We are happy with the way he is adapting to our style, what we want from the winger. I think he’s ready to start (against his old club United this weekend).”
Garnacho’s value to Chelsea will certainly be felt if he helps them get their first win at Old Trafford since May 2013.
(Top photo: Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
