Alejandro Garnacho made it clear that he wanted to swap Manchester United for Chelsea several months before he left the club, according to reports. The winger joined the London side last summer in a deal worth up to £40 million.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge, Garnacho has made 38 appearances and scored eight goals. His first season has also been affected by a change in management, with Enzo Maresca replaced by Liam Rosenior in January.
Fresh reports from The Sun suggest Chelsea are weighing up whether to cash in on the Argentina international just a year after signing him. The report also claims Garnacho was keen to join Chelsea as early as January last year, with his agent, former Chelsea player Enrique de Lucas, having made a trip to Stamford Bridge that month.
Garnacho had expressed a desire to leave United last summer and was critical of former manager Ruben Amorim after being dropped to the bench for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. He was subsequently left out of the squad for the final Premier League match against Aston Villa.
Reflecting on his final months at United, Garnacho told Premier League Productions: "I remember that, in the last six months, I was not playing like before at Manchester United. I started to be on the bench. It's not such a bad thing – I was only 20 years old – but in my mind it was like I had to play every game. ... I have no regrets." He added that he had "nothing wrong to say" about the club, anyone at the club, or his team-mates.
