How Alejandro Garnacho went from 'untouchable' to left behind at Man United – and why Ruben Amorim moved on from a player so desperate to stay that he's still on 'Ten Hag time'

Those inside Old Trafford three years ago on the night of the FA Youth Cup final all speak of being left in awe at the performance of Alejandro Garnacho.

Skinnier then, only a boy, he won a penalty which he coolly slotted home and ran off to the corner to mimic Cristiano Ronaldo’s ‘siu’ celebration. Later, he scampered free down the left, turned inside and out before taking five Nottingham Forest players out of the game to score and secure Youth Cup glory for United, their first title in 11 years.

It was a performance that underlined to fans and coaches alike that here was a player with superstar potential. United had, most thought, hit the jackpot.

And that is one of the memories some are looking back to now; a memory tinged with sadness as talk of him leaving Manchester United this window intensifies.

Napoli are eager to get him. Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has made that plain to the Italian side’s hierarchy having lost star left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for £59million to Paris Saint-Germain. Conte has already spoken to Garnacho directly to sell him on his vision to unlock his superstar potential.

Chelsea are keen too and it was not lost on staff at United that Garnacho’s agents Carlos Cambeiro and Quique De Lucas curiously posted on social media that they were in attendance at Stamford Bridge on Monday night for the Blues’ win over Wolves. Both Napoli and Chelsea are expected to make new bids with a couple of weeks left of the transfer window.

Napoli manager Antonio Conte has spoken directly to Garnacho to tell him of his vision

Where there is an appetite inside Carrington to move on from Marcus Rashford, who has since rowed back on his public claim that he wants a fresh challenge elsewhere, there is a reluctance to do so with Garnacho, who United picked up from Atletico Madrid as a teenager for just £420,000.

Just last summer, he was seen among United’s ‘untouchables’ alongside Rasmus Hojlund and fellow FA Cup final goalscorer Kobbie Mainoo. But there is also a quiet resignation that United must generate funds to both ease concerns around Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and sign players. A move for Garnacho is seen as a way to generate funds for a striker this month. Mainoo, too, is no longer off-limits.

Consider also that Garnacho is not a natural fit into the 3-4-2-1 system head coach Ruben Amorim has vowed he will never waiver from and it’s a situation that makes Garnacho prime suspect to move on.

On the financial side, Garnacho’s fee – he would command north of £60m – represents ‘pure profit’ as a homegrown player. A huge win that would allow a lot of breathing room for Amorim to sign players better suited to his system.

‘He has talent,’ Amorim said earlier this month. ‘He needs to learn to play in a different position. He needs to play better inside.

‘He improves a lot in the recovering position when he doesn’t have the ball. But doing that, sometimes he’s not in the right place to make transitions like he was in the past.

‘I prefer to defend and then build up with all the team to reach the final third. He’s finding the best way to play in this system. He’s improving during training. I think he changed the way he sees himself.’

Those that know Garnacho well speak of a player that is deeply misunderstood, one does not possess the ego many online purport him to have.

Naturally a wide player, Amorim urged Garnacho to ‘play better inside’ in his 3-4-2-1 system

Earlier this season he was axed from the United squad for the Manchester derby over a show of dissent towards Amorim in Plzen having appeared to turn his back on Amorim and walk away while the United boss was giving him instructions on the touchline. This was put down to a misunderstanding, underlined by the fact Garnacho has been ingratiated back into the group where Rashford has not.

He can be particularly quiet away from the pitch and he keeps his inner circle small. One source even suggested that while he idolises Cristiano Ronaldo, who he got to play with for a time at United, Garnacho differs from him in the sense that the Argentine can often border on shyness around others, something Ronaldo is never in danger of.

Even amid fierce scrutiny around his future and the disappointing defeat by Brighton on Sunday, Garnacho, along with Amad Diallo, was determined to attend a foundation school event in Moss Side on Monday where he played games in the playground before holding a Q&A session.

Criticism from fans stings Garnacho more than others, too. Earlier this season before facing PAOK in the Europa League he was targeted and confronted outside Old Trafford by a supporter who critiqued his performances.

Days later he scored against Leicester and elected not to celebrate, with Bruno Fernandes detailing how Garnacho felt he had ‘lost faith’ from some fans.

Soon after he was scapegoated online for accusations that he was the source of team news leaks coming out of the dressing room. United sources stridently believe that Garnacho has never leaked lineups and felt he was being unfairly targeted soon after being confronted by the fan at the ground.

It is one of a number of reasons, including being investigated by the FA in 2023 for an alleged racist post praising team-mate Andre Onana with two gorilla emojis, which was later deleted, why he has taken down his X account this season.

It is often forgotten that Garnacho is just 20. At that tender age, he is United’s third highest contributor for goals plus assists this season, is a full Argentina international with eight caps, has won a Puskas Award, started 37 successive games for the club last season, and is a Copa America, League Cup and FA Cup winner.

The Argentine can often border on shyness around others, with there belief that he is often misunderstood by the public

Garnacho was said to have ‘lost faith’ in some fans earlier in the season, opting not to celebrate after scoring against Leicester

Factor in, too, that he ranks first for most goal involvements among players under the age of 21 since the start of the 2022-23 season across Europe’s top five leagues. He has 37, getting his nose in front of Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Manchester City’s Savinho who rank joint-second with 35.

Garnacho is also one of the first through the gates at Carrington each day despite Amorim pushing back the required arrival time for players back by one hour, compared to his predecessor Erik ten Hag. Garnacho made the decision to stick to the same timings put in place by Ten Hag, so seriously does he take his preparation work.

And so it begs the question, how could United consider selling a player that is as resilient as Garnacho is, as talented as Garnacho is and as determined as Garnacho is? Not least when he himself is not pushing to leave the football club.

The answer lies in his value and the fact that, as determined as he has been to adapt to the demands of Amorim in the short time they have had working together, his new boss does not believe he has the defensive discipline to be converted into a wing-back – as has been done with Amad Diallo – and that he is not a natural No 10. As such, there is no place for him.

Against Southampton last week Garnacho started as one of the two No 10s and often found himself looking back to Amorim on the sidelines for reassurance. Even then, he ended up drifting wide to the left before Amorim barked at him to come back inside.

Under Amorim, Garnacho has played 14 times, starting just six. He has scored one goal and had one assist, with his influence on games is waning now that he cannot play to his strengths as an orthodox left winger.

He is a player fading into the background where once the Old Trafford pitch, and that left wing, was his centre stage.

His future may well be taken out of his hands and decided in boardrooms in Manchester, London or Naples, but before the trigger is pulled United would do well to heed the advice of Ten Hag.

The reason United are considering selling him is down to his value, and that there is currently no place for him in Amorim’s team

United must decide whether pure profit or player potential is higher on their priority list

‘He’s a player who needs a challenge, he likes a challenge, he is very brave, he’s very confident, our job is to push him to high levels,’ Ten Hag said last year. ‘He has high potential and now we have to get the potential out.’

Now United must decide whether pure profit or player potential is higher on their priority list.