Ruben Amorim’s answer to Alejandro Garnacho’s question told it all: there is only one person to blame for his departure from Manchester United

Alejandro Garnacho will return to Old Trafford tonight, less than a month after leaving Manchester United for Chelsea in a £40 million move.

Alejandro Garnacho’s brother was in the Old Trafford directors’ box and fell into tears when his sibling crossed the white line for Manchester United’s debut against Chelsea in April 2022. There were no tears shed over Garnacho’s move to Chelsea.

Garnacho and his on-and-off girlfriend, Eva Garcia, travelled to London numerous times last season. Enrique de Lucas, one of Garnacho’s agents, played for Chelsea in January, alongside Carlos Cambeiro.

Some predict that Miss Garcia may return to England now that Garnacho has moved to the capital. He’s been preparing for this transfer since the winter window.

Garnacho was disgruntled on his final post-season tour with the United team in Hong Kong. Garnacho completed his post-match meet-and-greet obligation at Hong Kong Stadium, although he never smiled for selfies.

He appeared glad to be away from the club, basking in the attention of a paparazzi in Hale in July. Garnacho was not the only member of the five-man bomb squad at Carrington, but he was considered persona non grata there.

Although Garnacho was in the United academy from the age of 16, he never appeared to be a one-club man, having moved from Madrid. His time with the club lasted fewer than five years, starting with a quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Garnacho was again secluded during his final months at the club.

Garnacho moved out of his Cheshire estate earlier this year, but he continued to pay rent despite living in smaller quarters. United were quick to point out that Garnacho’s change of domicile had nothing to do with a possible transfer and that his parents and brother had already returned to Spain.

Another move was unavoidable as Garnacho was left out of the Europa League final starting lineup. He should’ve seen it coming. Ruben Amorim utilised the Friday night away game against Chelsea as a dress rehearsal, with Mason Mount starting and Garnacho on the bench.

Garnacho blindly dismissed it. He bleached his hair for the event in Bilbao. When the squads were unveiled at San Mames Stadium, the only United player on the pitch was a disappointed Garnacho. He distracted himself by catching up with Sergio Reguilon, a former teammate.

In little than a year, Garnacho’s position was reduced from untouchable to undependable. During a post-season press conference, Amorim began chuckling when Amad asked if he hoped Garnacho would continue. The bleached blond’s dye had been cast.

Amorim gave Garnacho short shrift following the Europa League final.

“Garnacho is not our player,” Amorim stated on Friday. “I’m quite pleased that Mason and (Matheus) Cunha have returned. The rest you’ll have to discuss with the Chelsea management.”

When pressed on Garnacho in the second segment, Amorim began laughing again. “I’m not bothered about it, guys. I simply want to win games. I don’t care who plays for the opposing team, what people say in the conclusion, or whether the other player performs well. They are good players who will perform well if something happens.

“I’m simply focused on winning the game. That’s my main concern.”

The 2022 FA Youth Cup final was one of Garnacho’s most memorable experiences at Old Trafford. A record attendance of 67,492 watched United win the competition for the first time in 11 years.

Garnacho is not short on confidence.

Cristiano Ronaldo recorded a motivating message for the team, which was played in the locker room before kickoff. Garnacho, who idolised Ronaldo and emulated his celebrations, scored twice in the 3-1 win.

As United players took turns posing with the trophy, Garnacho draped the Argentina flag around him, prompting the first singing of “Viva Garnacho” from the Stretford End. Garnacho gave a brief applause and smirked amid the impromptu devotion.

He was unaffected by the fanfare or the demands. Garnacho was immortalised on the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year plaque at Carrington and vying for the number seven shirt following his debut season. It went to Mount, which was cursed by the number. Garnacho received a seven for his newly elevated squad number of 17.

Garnacho got the number 17 in 2023.

Without him, United would still hold 12 FA Cups. Garnacho was deserving of the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year accolade in 2023-24, a season he persevered through without suffering an injury. He played 50 games, starting 38 of them in a row. Garnacho has been injury-free since March 2023, which is an impressive run for a winger who attracts hatchet men.

Garnacho’s performance against Liverpool in that historic quarter-final was not his greatest, but he played a key role in all four goals. Garnacho had been dealing with a hamstring strain in the days building up to the match and played for over two hours before collapsing deliriously after Amad drove the ball past Caoimhin Kelleher.

Unlike some other wingers, Garnacho did not go into hiding. He was always demanding the ball and worked as hard as David Beckham did. Consider the added-time comeback against Brentford in October 2023, which may have saved Erik ten Hag from the sack 12 months earlier. Garnacho, the game changer, twists and turns on the byline before diverting the ball in for Scott McTominay to equalise.

Garnacho celebrates United’s comeback victory over Brentford.

Garnacho’s instant response is to dash back into his own half. There is time for a winner. That attitude and those experiences make his limited stint in the United first team (his complete debut was less than three years ago) so disappointing. He was a throwback to the United wingers of the past while also being a modern winger.

Perhaps there was too much and too young. Garnacho’s overhead kick at Everton and celebration against West Ham United were essential to the storyline for the thrilling Adidas Originals commercial promoting last year’s white away shirt, which was headlined by Barry Keoghan.

Garnacho, like Marcus Rashford before him, was irritated by his new manager’s attitude. Ten Hag scolded Garnacho several times for being late for his first pre-season trip and reacting passive-aggressively on social media. But the dynamic shifted irreversibly under Amorim.

Amorim instructs Garnacho during his debut match as manager.

After Garnacho and Rashford were dropped from the Manchester derby squad last year, both the player and the manager attempted to make it work. Amorim believed Garnacho was inattentive when he gave him instructions at Viktoria Plzen three days previously. Rashford never appeared for United again. Garnacho returned to the team and the pitch four days later versus Tottenham.

Whereas teammates had grown bored of the Rashford drama, they were more interested in the younger Garnacho. Bruno Fernandes took Garnacho under his wing, but he also planned to clip his wings. He lashed out at him over Chelsea’s winning goal in May.

Arsenal, Tottenham, and Atletico Madrid all backed off on potential moves for Garnacho after doing due diligence. One of his more accomplished performances for United came at Chelsea, which was overshadowed by their incredible stoppage-time collapse from 3-2 up to 4-3 down in April 2024.

Garnacho scored twice against Chelsea in April 2024 (image: 2024 Manchester United FC).

Chelsea paid just £40 million for Garnacho. United tried to spin the transfer as a positive, claiming Garnacho was the club’s fourth-highest selling. He left for £2.5 million more than former Ipswich Town winger Omari Hutchinson, who joined Nottingham Forest.

United are transitioning into a new identity, as evidenced by the lack of genuine wingers in their starting lineup. Amorim has defeated Garnacho, Rashford, Antony, and Jadon Sancho. Garnacho is the only one who could be missed, but his aggressive demeanour should bring some boos back to Old Trafford on Saturday.

The United academy is eager to congratulate itself when a player makes his first-team debut, but they are noticeable by their absence when a graduate has troubles. Garnacho, Rashford, and, most notably, Mason Greenwood have all caused problems at United. Club officials admitted that Garnacho’s loudmouth brother, Roberto, was a problem.

 

Samuel joined the Manchester Evening News in 2014 and is currently the Chief Manchester United Writer. He has revealed exclusive details about Jose Mourinho’s employment, Cristiano Ronaldo’s re-signing, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal, the club’s interest in Ralf Rangnick and Erik ten Hag, as well as countless other moves and team news. He has represented the MEN on the BBC, Sky News, Sky Sports News, TalkSport, Radio 5 Live, CNN, and other global media channels. To get Samuel’s monthly newsletter with exclusive opinions and insights,