Alejandro Garnacho has been a revelation this season.
The 18 year old fresh faced teenager got the assist for Marcus Rashford’s goal in the 2-1 win against Pep Guardiola’s men at Old Trafford, which took the Red Devils to within a point of the reigning champions.
Signed in October 2020 from Atlético Madrid’s youth system for a fee of around £420,000, the Argentinian was a revelation in last seasons’ FA Youth Cup.
Garnacho would end up top scoring in the tournament with 7 goals in 6 games, including two well taken second half strikes against Nottingham Forest in the final to guide United to their first win in the tournament since the batch of 2010/11.
The teenager was included in the squad for Erik ten Hag’s first pre-season tour to Bangkok and Australia, but his antics, including twice turning up late for team meetings would see Garnacho dropped from the squad.
He featured in none of the four fixtures abroad and would have to wait until the final friendly against Rayo Vallecano Old Trafford to finally get off the bench and onto the pitch.
That bit of tough love seems to have paid immediate dividends, as Garnacho has flourished in recent months, often coming up with the solution when his side have needed one the most.
He scored an injury time winner against Fulham in United’s final game before the World Cup and has continued his fine form with assists against Bournemouth and Manchester City in the league.
In a recent interview, Erik ten Hag heaped praise on the young forward.
“He has a skill that I don’t see many players in the Premier League having – he beats players one on one.” Ten Hag said in statements carried by The Telegraph.
“But he’s learnt in the last months about how to play in a team, how to live, how to do the right things in the week, how to have the right attitude on the training ground and you see how he’s acting as a team player and with his individual skills that can make the difference.
“Also for him it’s to keep going in the process. It’s not done. There is a lot to come. There is a lot of room for improvement with him but he can help, he can contribute on the highest level already and I’m really happy.
“It’s a bonus for us as a club that you bring in young players and they can come not only into the squad but the team and I think that is a part of our project that has to contribute to our success.”
Garnacho’s contract expires in 2024 and Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano recently reiterated United’s desire to tie the 18 year old to a new contract in a transfer column on Caughtoffside, claiming an agreement between both parties is imminent.
This was corroborated this evening with claims from journalist Jacque Talbot that an agreement of around £30,000 per week, on a seven year contract, has been struck.
Despite interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus, the Red Devils will do everything in their power to get their boy wonder to extend his stay at Old Trafford, in the hopes that he can be a talismanic figurehead in future campaigns and lead them once again to the promised land.
For now, it looks like Alejandro Garnacho has found a home in Manchester.
