Near Ronaldo milestone
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Few Manchester United players divide opinion more than Alejandro Garnacho. Despite his 21st birthday not arriving until next month, Garnacho has already amassed 140 professional games for the English giants and delivered some memorable moments, including the Puskas Award winning goal against Everton. Man United’s problems this season are well-documented and they will record their worst ever Premier League finish but the Europa League could provide a silver lining.
There’s been few success stories in a dismal season and there will be a major overhaul in the summer as Ruben Amorim puts his imprint on his squad. Despite being Man United’s most prolific attacker with 21 goal contributions this season, Garnacho has been linked with a potential exit this summer, so what does the future hold for the Argentina international?
Is Alejandro Garnacho underrated at Manchester United?
Only three outfield players have totalled more minutes for Man United than Garnacho this season (3,437’) and he’s been involved in the most games (54). The winger’s durability is often overlooked and he’s earned the trust of Amorim after being dropped from the squad entirely against Manchester City due to concerns over his attitude. To put Garnacho’s availability into context, Milos Kerkez is the only U21 player from a Premier League club to play more minutes than the Man United starlet. Garnacho has also posted impressive attacking numbers this season, which defies the narrative around his output – his market value on Transfermarkt dropped by €5 million in March.
With his excellent goal against Brentford, Garnacho overtook Gabriel Jesus for most goals (16) in the Premier League from non-European players before their 21st birthday. The Man Utd starlet has also registered double figures for goals and assists with his overall 21 goal contributions ranking favourably amongst his peers. From U20 players across the top five leagues, Lamine Yamal and Désiré Doué are the only two players to register more goal contributions in all competitions. Interestingly, Garnacho needs just one goal or assist before the end of the season to match Cristiano Ronaldo’s tally of 25 goal contributions with Manchester United before turning 21.
Will Alejandro Garnacho remain at Man United next season?
Garnacho’s future at United is complicated and there are several important factors at play but he downplayed exit speculation in his first-ever press conference on Wednesday. “As a footballer, you are always going to listen and hear some rumours about the future,” Garnacho said. “But I have a contract here until 2028 so I’m happy here.” The Spanish-born attacker was fairly non-committal but he was heavily linked with moves to Chelsea and Napoli in January, with the Italian’s having an offer rejected. United’s financial power in the summer transfer window will rely heavily upon whether they qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. If unsuccessful, Old Trafford chiefs will need to find alternative ways to generate funds and Garnacho represents pure profit on PSR accounts as he’s classified as an academy graduate. It’s been widely reported that United would entertain suitable offers for Garnacho and he represents one of their most valuable assets.
There’s also been scepticism that the bonafide winger can fit into Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation but there’s been signs of optimism recently. Garnacho has shown a maturity to his game and he remains one of United’s only ball carriers with devastating counter attacking skills. Garnacho’s decision making remains a weakness in his game but there’s notable indications of that improving across recent weeks amongst those who watch him closely. It seemed unfathomable that United would sanction a sale of Garnacho when he scored in the FA Cup final win over Man City one year ago. But although his future looked bleak in January, Garnacho has improved considerably in recent months and it’s often forgotten how much he’s achieved in the fledgling years of his career.
