Chelsea Weighing Garnacho Move as United Lower Demands
Chelsea are considering a move for Alejandro Garnacho, who is edging closer to securing a switch within the Premier League. However, any move will likely depend on one major outgoing at Stamford Bridge. The 20-year-old has been left out of Manchester United’s plans after his post-Europa League final behaviour prompted Ruben Amorim to freeze him out of the squad. Despite links to several clubs, including interest from abroad, no formal offers have yet been submitted. That could soon change, particularly as Chelsea continue to monitor developments at Old Trafford.
According to ESPN, the London club remain interested in Garnacho, having previously held talks in January. While they opted not to make a bid at the time, Napoli did submit a £40 million offer, which United rejected. Reports now suggest that the same fee could be sufficient to secure Garnacho’s departure, with the club quietly reducing their valuation from £70 million due to growing pressure to sell. United’s handling of the situation has reportedly weakened their negotiating stance. With Amorim making it clear Garnacho is not part of his plans, and INEOS prioritising a sale, rival clubs now hold stronger leverage in discussions. Chelsea are believed to be keen, but may need to offload Nicolas Jackson before proceeding.
Jackson’s name has been mentioned in conversations at Carrington, though his price tag, understood to be between £80 million and £100 million, would likely rule out a straight United purchase. It is unclear whether Garnacho might be used to help facilitate a deal, should negotiations progress in that direction. In the meantime, Garnacho has been left out of United’s pre-season tour of the United States. He remains at Carrington, training individually while waiting for further clarity over his future.
United Blocked in Late Striker Approaches
Manchester United made unsuccessful late attempts to sign Hugo Ekitike and Viktor Gyökeres, with both players rejecting the club’s advances last week. David Ornstein reported via The Athletic that United entered the race for Ekitike after Liverpool had already made significant progress. The Frenchman had given his word to Liverpool prior to a £79 million deal being finalised, leaving United too late to change the outcome. Following that setback, United turned their attention to Gyökeres, a player Ruben Amorim previously coached at Sporting. However, they were quickly informed that the striker had no intention of joining, with Arsenal believed to be his preferred destination.
These failed pursuits have led United to adopt a new internal policy: they will only advance negotiations if mutual interest is confirmed beforehand. The shift in approach follows a quiet transfer window, with few credible links to strikers emerging in recent weeks. Talks have reportedly taken place over Benjamin Šeško, Nicolas Jackson, and Ollie Watkins, though none have progressed due to prohibitive asking prices. Šeško and Watkins are both valued at £80 million, while Chelsea are holding firm on a £60 million fee for Jackson. The club’s ability to strike new deals may improve if asking prices drop in the final weeks of the window. But with just two signings completed and negotiations for Bryan Mbeumo dragging on for over a month, Amorim may be forced to start the 2025–26 season with little change to his current squad.
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