Alejandro Garnacho’s behaviour at Chelsea, ripped apart by team-mates, Xabi Alonso decision
Alejandro Garnacho has had a troubled year at Chelsea and it looks like he’ll have no future at Stamford Bridge as far as Xabi Alonso is concerned
Alejandro Garnacho could be on the move again this summer(Image: John Walton/PA Wire)
Alejandro Garnacho’s career is at another crossroads less than a year after joining Chelsea from Manchester United. After his relationship with United became toxic, he left for Stamford Bridge near the end of the summer transfer window in the hope of making a fresh start.
The £40million deal looked like a potential bargain at the time but now appears to be another expensive mistake by the Blues, who have failed to get the best out of the Argentine. Not all the blame can be levelled at Garnacho, who saw the manager who signed him, Enzo Maresca, leave mid-season amid his flirtations with Manchester City, the club he is now in charge of.
Maresca’s replacement, Liam Rosenior, lasted just 106 days before being sacked as Chelsea’s campaign turned farcical. The latest man in the dugout will be Xabi Alonso, who will be looking to restore respectability to the Blues, whose scattergun transfer policy has attracted ridicule.
With another move on the horizon, here’s a round-up of Garnacho’s troubled year at Stamford Bridge…
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Chelsea behaviour
Eager to make an impression following his arrival from United, Garnacho actually impressed his new club with his conduct on the training ground. Speaking in September, Maresca said: “He’s working well.
“For sure he needs to work because he arrived here probably not 100 per cent fit. So he needs to work. He’s working well and we’ll see. But hopefully soon we can give him minutes.”
Garnacho himself said: “I have a winning mentality. I have passion and a big personality. It’s a natural fit with a club like Chelsea, which has just won the Club World Cup. Chelsea are at the top now, and it’s important to fight for the club like the fans deserve.”
Needless to say, the honeymoon period didn’t last long.
Ripped apart by team-mates
Garnacho should have been desperate to show his former club what they were missing when United visited Stamford Bridge in April. However, after coming off the bench early on to replace the injured Estevao, he made such little impact that he was berated by some of his team-mates at half-time, reported The Sun.
Matters didn’t improve as United won 1-0 thanks to a Matheus Cunha goal. If that wasn’t bad enough, Garnacho was also rinsed by his former team-mates after Luke Shaw shared a photo of himself making a robust challenge on him.
The post was liked or commented on by Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Cunha, Joshua Zirkzee, Ayden Heaven, Lisandro Martinez, Patrick Dorgu and Mason Mount.
Alonso’s decision
Xabi Alonso has already decided to wash his hands of Garnacho, with Chelsea willing to listen to offers of around £43m. The 22-year-old has been told he is not guaranteed a regular starting place at Stamford Bridge, with clubs in the Premier League, Italy and Saudi Arabia showing interest.
In his first press conference as Chelsea boss, Alonso said: “We have spoken with the sports directors, and there is an interest from him from other clubs, so let’s see how it develops.”
Internally, it is hoped that a deal to move Garnacho on can be reached this month. Chelsea kick off their Premier League campaign at Fulham on August 24.
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