Alejandro Garnacho has clear Man Utd exit path after £125m transfer confirmation

Irish Daily Mirror

a day ago

Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho might be packing his bags this summer following a series of events that suggest his future at Old Trafford is uncertain.
Last year, Garnacho was deemed too valuable to lose after shooting up the ranks and making an impact in Erik ten Hag's senior squad. Yet now, amidst financial pressures to meet Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), both he and teammate Kobbie Mainoo are on the table for potential exits.
Back in January, Italian heavyweights Napoli attempted but failed to swoop him into their folds, while Chelsea's interest fizzled out. Since then, Garnacho's contributions have been limited, with a modest three goals and four assists post-transfer window.
His behaviour has also raised eyebrows, such as being benched for poor conduct before the Manchester derby in December, storming off early during a February match against Ipswich, and lashing out at Ruben Amorim's choices while berating this "s**t season" after Europa League disappointment.
Following the Europa loss in Bilbao, suitors have lined up, with both AC Milan and Aston Villa keen on the 20 year old winger. Amidst all this, there's chatter about Bayer Leverkusen expressing a desire to hand Garnacho a second chance by bringing him to BayArena on loan—a proposition Manchester United aren't too keen on, according to Caught Offside, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Should Garnacho reunite with Ten Hag, the gaffer who brought him into the first team, it would be due to Leverkusen pocketing a cool £125million. Florian Wirtz, one of Ten Hag's top performers in Germany, is consistently linked with a switch to Liverpool.
The Manchester Evening News' sister paper, LiverpoolEcho, has reported that the Premier League champions have kicked off talks with Leverkusen to shatter their current transfer record of £75m. It's believed that the German club values Wirtz at £125m, a price tag that made Manchester City back off.
Wirtz's departure will give Ten Hag a hefty transfer kitty to splash but also the task to find his replacement. The German international netted 16 goals and set up another 15 this season and his contribution will be sorely missed next term.
Leverkusen's interest in Garnacho shouldn't raise eyebrows given the faith that Ten Hag showed in him previously. If Garnacho is to resurrect his career, the clear exit path might just be staring him in the face.