Alejandro Garnacho has split the Manchester United fan base.
Some love him, some aren’t quite so keen, but the rumour is that he will be leaving us this Summer. For my money, it’s 100% the right move.
Garnacho’s rise at Manchester United has been quite something. He went from an exciting young prospect to a first-team mainstay very quickly, showcasing moments of brilliance such as that Puskás Award-winning bicycle kick against Everton in November 2023. He got goal of the season for it, too.
However, while he can create an impressive highlight reel from his time here, it wouldn’t paint an accurate picture. Questionable decision making, on and off the pitch, has been the main feature of Garnacho’s time as a Red, and this is why his time could be coming to an end.
Here’s why I won’t be sad to see him go.
Flashes of Brilliance Amidst Inconsistency
In terms of technical ability, Garnacho is plainly a very talented young man.
That said, his fleeting moments of individual brilliance are overshadowed by inconsistency and more concerningly, poor decision making in critical phases of play.
The guy consistently attempts low-percentage chance shots rather than making more pragmatic choices that include, and could benefit, his team. He gets the ball, cuts inside and shoots, even if there are better placed team mates available. It’s like that Everton goal ruined him – he wants to repeat it over and over.
It’s infuriating to watch.
What’s more, when out on the left his crossing and passing has been off the boil when he does choose that option. Maybe this is another contributing factor? He knows he isn’t the best at delivering quality crosses so he shoots instead.
On top of this, although he does track back sometimes, his defensive contribution is just as inconsistent. His tactical discipline isn’t the best. He can go rogue, leaving his full back exposed.
Immaturity of the Pitch
Anyone with the will to improve can work on their decision making, however, Garnacho has shown immaturity off the pitch which for me, is the bigger concern.
His social media activity had repeatedly got him in trouble, such as when he ‘liked’ a post criticising then manager Erik ten Hag after being substituted at halftime against Bournemouth. He apologised, which is something, but it raises question about his professionalism.
Plus, he did it again later in the season, and was benched shortly afterwards. The official line is that it was for tactical reasons, but the timing tells a different story.
And then there is his brother, Roberto.
Let me be careful how I word this: Roberto Garnacho is toxic for his brother’s career. He exemplifies the worst of sibling dependence, living off his brother’s success and thinking he is special by association.
He is also Garnacho’s ‘agent’, despite having none of the requisite skills required. Hiring family members as agents is just a way to share the wealth, but it doesn’t often work out very well. Roberto inflates Alejandro’s ego and influences his behaviour from the sidelines. Poison in his ear.
He also makes public comments via social media, such as after the Europa League final when he slammed Ruben Amorim for “throwing him under the bus” – which doesn’t even make sense.
View this post on Instagram
He’s used a phrase he doesn’t understand to create unnecessary drama. It’s been deleted now but the damage is done.
Of course, Garna loves his brother so doesn’t see this.
Fracturing Relationship
These elements have fractured the relationship between Alejandro Garnacho and the manager, but also between him and the club as a whole.
We don’t like people getting too big for their football boots in England, and especially not in Manchester. We certainly don’t like people disrespecting our club.
Garnacho’s public expressions of frustration coupled with his brother fanning the flames reportedly led to a confrontation with Ruben Amorim. He is supposed to have told the Argentinian:
“You better pray that you can find a club to sign you”
…and he did it in front of the rest of the team.
Does that sound like the sort of relationship breakdown that can be repaired? Not to me, it doesn’t. Especially not when the person who needs to womp down a slice of humble pie is Alejandro Garnacho.
His adoration for Cristiano Ronaldo is well known, but he doesn’t seem to understand that he needs to emulate Ronaldo’s ability before he can emulate his ego – not the other way around.
A Final Financial Nail in the Coffin
With all of these issues and the fact there are other players who can take his place, it makes sense to get rid of Garnacho.
What sweetens the deal for Manchester United, is the fact he is a home grown player. That means any sale is recorded as 100% profit, which helps us enormously with financial fair play and profit and susatinability regulations.
We sold Scott McTominay for this reason, for a measly £25 million, and with Garna worth an estimated £60 million, it looks like an easy decision to make.
The alternative is the potential for another Sancho or Rashford scenario. No thanks. Rip the plaster off. Get him sold and reinvest that money.
It will be good for the dressing room, too. Fractured relationships are toxic in any work environment, even to the people who aren’t directly involved. They cause tension, they cause distractions.
He may well go on to be world class, and everyone will tell us we were mad to sell him. But the fact is he just isn’t right for Manchester United. Sometimes relationships break down, maybe it was never supposed to work out.
If Garnacho is sold, and I hope he is, I won’t be sad to see him go, but I won’t wish ill of him, either. Good luck to him. But United cannot afford another sage with a player whose ego outweighs his contributions.
Get him sold while he’s valuable, and let’s move on.