Alejandro Garnacho is looking to revitalise his career at Chelsea following his departure from Manchester United. The 21-year-old’s Old Trafford departure was inevitable after the winger voiced his displeasure at being relegated to the substitutes’ bench for May’s Europa League final defeat to Tottenham.
Ruben Amorim reacted poorly to this stance, with Garnacho subsequently spending pre-season training separately from United’s first-team squad after expressing his wish to depart. Chelsea finalised the anticipated acquisition of the Argentina international for £40million, with the Red Devils securing a 10 per cent sell-on provision.
Garnacho also endured a fractious relationship with Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag, previously endorsing a critical social media post regarding the Dutchman. Whilst few question his talent, concerns persist regarding his temperament, which Enzo Maresca will be eager to address.
Here’s a summary of what managers, colleagues and experts have commented about the mercurial Argentine….
Ruben Amorim’s public put-down
Amorim had grown so frustrated with Garnacho that he reportedly informed him of his impending departure in front of his teammates.
Prior to the final league fixture of the campaign – before Garnacho’s complaints about being benched for the Europa League final – his manager reportedly told him during a training session: “You better hope you have a good agent this summer.”
That’s according to The Athletic. By that stage, the writing was already on the wall for his United future, with Garnacho pushing for an exit from Old Trafford.
The bond between manager and player deteriorated even more when Garnacho addressed journalists following the crushing defeat to Spurs in Bilbao, declaring: “Our season was s***. We didn’t beat anyone in the league.
“We lacked a lot of things. When you don’t score goals, you always need more. Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today… I don’t know. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.”
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Criticised by Bruno Fernandes
United captain Bruno Fernandes previously offered a damning assessment of Garnacho’s mentality after he netted the decisive strike in a Europa League clash against Real Sociedad in 2022.
Fernandes told BT Sport: “He was good but he knows we expect a lot from him. He’s still really young, doing really well. At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best.
“On the [pre-season] tour he did not have the best attitude. That’s why he didn’t get his chance until now. He’s getting his chances because he’s training better, he’s having the correct attitude.”
Jamie Carragher off-field criticism
Jamie Carragher has criticised Garnacho, not for his transfer or on-pitch performances, but for his use of a mobile phone during a game.
After finalising his move to Stamford Bridge, Garnacho was seen in the stands during the home match against Fulham, where he was caught scrolling on his phone just eight minutes into the match.
Carragher voiced his annoyance: “You know what I didn’t like? Did you see the game [against Fulham], when they go to the people in the stands and they are on their phones with the game going on?
“I can’t stand it. And it’s not just him by the way, but I can’t stand it. So it’s a miss for that. For sitting on his phone during an important game for Chelsea.”
‘Disrespectful’ claim
Former United defender Paul Parker did not hold back in his criticism of Garnacho following his Chelsea transfer, labelling his behaviour as “disrespectful.”
The former England full-back told MyBettingSites: “His conduct on and off the pitch was disrespectful.
“All he wanted to do was score a goal or have a near miss so he could act like Ronaldo. Now he’s gone to a club where there’s a lot more ego. He will alienate himself or it’ll be a battle there.
“United fans backed him when he was going through things both on and off the field. His brother was tweeting things and they backed him and he said nothing. He’s stuck two fingers up at the club that nursed him.”
Garnacho is set to challenge public opinion and silence his critics regarding his off-pitch behaviour as he begins a new chapter at Stamford Bridge.