Manchester United opted to sell Alejandro Garnacho to rivals Chelsea in the summer with a former Blue claiming he can be among Europe’s best when he’s in the groove
Man Utd chose to rid of Alejandro Garnacho in the summer(Image: DARREN STAPLES, AFP via Getty Images)
Former Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell believes Manchester United let Alejandro Garnacho go, despite him having the potential to be “one of the best in Europe”.
The Red Devils chose to sell the winger in the summer, banking £40million when he left Manchester and headed to Chelsea. He’d been in and out of Ruben Amorim‘s starting XI whilst his attitude had also been cited as an issue at Old Trafford.
He’s since begun his new chapter in west London, where competition is particularly high in the final third. He’s by no means a guaranteed starter under Enzo Maresca and has scored just once in his first five Premier League outings.
However, Garnacho was on song on Wednesday night when he appeared from the bench to rescue Chelsea against Qarabag in the Champions League. The Argentine scored their equaliser and Sidwell admitted he can be sensational when at the top of his game.
He told TNT Sports after he scored: “Superb from Garnacho. This is what Chelsea fans want to see from him, making an impact in the final third. He’s certainly got the quality. It’s a super strike. Chelsea fans are crying out to see the real Garnacho because he has got some talent. We’ve seen it there, and we need to see it more in a Chelsea shirt. When he’s in form, he’s one of the best in Europe, that’s for sure.”
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Garnacho had been tipped to be a long-term star in Manchester when he burst onto the scene under Erik ten Hag. He scored some major goals, including one in the FA Cup final in 2024, but was unable to deliver consistently and was eventually allowed to depart.
Since the summer transfer window shut United have already seen some their talent excel elsewhere. Rasmus Hojlund was regarded as a flop but has been in the goals ever since moving to Napoli. He’s continued the trend of players who find form once leaving Manchester.
Alejandro Garnacho was on hand to score Chelsea’s equaliser on Wednesday(Image: Darren Walsh, Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea are not lacking for quality in the final third with Garnacho going up against the likes of Estevao and Pedro Neto for a starting berth. But Garnacho knows the value of coming off the bench and was happy to make an impact when called upon in Azerbaijan but his coach.
He said: “He (Maresca) wanted me to help the team, come on and play my part. I scored to equalise, but it’s not enough. We needed to score another. It was a good finish, and I just tried to help the team with a goal or an assist, or even just hard work, but I wanted to win the game. As a winger, you have to deliver with a goal or an assist, and it’s the way you can help the team, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
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