James Garner’s future could be away from Manchester United as manager Erik ten Hag has decided to let the player go on a permanent transfer.
Garner was hopeful of breaking into United’s first team squad this season having enjoyed a successful loan spell with Nottingham Forest last year.
The young star was one of the Midlands club’s best players as they clinched promotion to the Premier League in the playoffs.
An injury at the start of pre-season meant that Garner had little opportunity to impress Ten Hag on the tour and this could be one of the factors that has led to the decision to let him go.
“Manchester United are open to permanent offers for James Garner, with several Premier League clubs interested in a move,” The Athletic‘s David Ornstein and Laurie Whitwell report.
“Erik ten Hag has decided that Garner should be allowed to leave if a suitable bid arrives for the 21-year-old midfielder. Sources say United value Garner at around £14 million.”
“Forest were interested in bringing him back but appear to have recruited sufficiently in this area and it is unclear if they will revisit a deal.”
Garner has represented England at every level from Under 17 to Under 21 and is considered one of the country’s brightest young midfield prospects.
Many thought that United’s deficiencies in midfield, laid bare in the opening two games of the season in which both Fred and McTominay have been hauled off or dropped, could hand Garner the chance to make an impression.
But Ten Hag has chosen to use Donny van de Beek and new signing Christian Eriksen as backups in central midfield and Garner has not got off the bench.
And with Adrien Rabiot seemingly set to join the club and hopes of Frenkie de Jong still burning strongly, the window of opportunity for the Birkenhead man at Old Trafford seems to have all but closed already.
Ten Hag used another academy graduate, Zidane Iqbal, with great regularity during pre-season and there is a sense that the Iraqi could also be set to jump ahead of Garner in the pecking order.
There has also been speculation of a move by United for Bristol City wonderkid Alex Scott.
