Manchester United at Risk of Losing £95M Star to La Liga Giants

Manchester United’s renowned academy has produced numerous exceptional talents over the years, with several currently featuring in the first team. Perhaps the most prominent at present is Marcus Rashford, who has made over 400 appearances for the club. However, his future remains uncertain after being omitted from the squad for the recent Manchester derby.

Kobbie Mainoo represents the next generation of Carrington graduates, having seamlessly adapted to Premier League football with 47 appearances since his debut just over a year ago. Another standout academy product is Alejandro Garnacho, who has been linked with a potential move away from Old Trafford.

Garnacho’s rise has been meteoric since joining United at 16 and making his debut at 17. Now 20, he is an established first-team player with over 100 appearances, 23 goals, and 13 assists to his name. His most memorable moment came with a spectacular overhead kick against Everton last season, which won the 2024 Puskas Award.

The Argentine international has started the new season strongly with 8 goals and 4 assists in 23 appearances. However, he was surprisingly dropped from the squad for the recent Manchester derby, along with Rashford, by new manager Ruben Amorim.

Reports from Spain suggest that La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are showing interest in signing Garnacho, potentially during the winter transfer window. The deal could be expensive, with CIES Football Observatory valuing the young winger at £95 million.

This situation bears striking similarities to Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from United to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record £80 million fee. Both cases involve a Spanish giant pursuing a highly-rated United winger in a potential club-record sale.

Former United midfielder Paul Scholes has even compared Garnacho to a young Ronaldo, citing his skill and confidence on the ball. The parallels between the two players’ careers at United are hard to ignore, potentially causing concern among Red Devils supporters that another generational talent could be lured away to Madrid.

United will undoubtedly be keen to avoid repeating history and losing a player of Garnacho’s potential, especially given his rapid development and importance to the team’s future. The coming months will likely be crucial in determining whether the club can retain their latest star or if another high-profile departure to Spain is on the horizon.