Chelsea are reported to be offering a fee of around £40m for Alejandro Garnacho this summer.
This was the price the Blues paid to sign him from Manchester United last year (BBC Sport), but Glen Johnson lamented the move as a “mistake” after he returned just one goal in the Premier League all season.
Manager Liam Rosenior was apparently determined to continue to have faith in the 21-year-old during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge, but his short reign was cut short last month, creating fresh uncertainty over the Argentine winger’s future.
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Chelsea looking for £40m buyer for Garnacho
Chelsea News writer Simon Phillips reported on Thursday (via Substack) that the west London club are looking to offer Garnacho to another club this summer for around £40 million.
Napoli have been named as one of the potential buyers who could be approached, given their previous interest in the former Manchester United youngster.
Stamford Bridge bosses have so far been “disappointed” with the 21-year-old, but there is a belief that this will be the case.It would be in the best interest of all parties if he is released in the next transfer window.
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Garnacho hasn’t done enough to convince Chelsea so far
If Chelsea can find a buyer for Garnacho who is prepared to pay enough to recoup their initial investment, it seems likely that a deal could be struck fairly quickly.
Nicky Butt, who worked with the forward in his youth development at Man United, described him as follows:Always a bit detached, he “thinks highly of himself” and even calls his attitude “disgraceful” (“The Good, the Bad, and Football”).
The Argentine has failed to generate much positive headlines in his first season with the Blues and could become one of the first players to be culled by new manager Xabi Alonso as he continues to make his mark on the Stamford Bridge squad.
Garnacho has shown flashes in the past and, in the right environment, could continue to fulfill the potential he showed at Old Trafford as a teenager.
But even if letting him go after just one year would mean a private admission that their decision to sign him in the first place was a mistake, he could rightly be seen as one of Chelsea’s more disposable players as they prepare for yet another chapter under Bruko’s chaotic ownership.
