Latest news reveals that Manchester United has explicitly informed Alejandro Garnacho: if the Argentine forward wants to leave Old Trafford to join Chelsea in west London, the Blues must pay £50 million to meet the club's valuation of him.
Chelsea is convinced that this Argentina international, born in Spain (who previously fell out of favor with Ruben Amorim), only has his heart set on joining the club and will even turn down other suitors, including Italian clubs. Among Manchester United's squad, the 21-year-old Garnacho is the most valuable asset on the "clean-up list" – after all, he is no longer part of the new manager's plans.
In fact, Chelsea has shown interest in Garnacho for two consecutive transfer windows. Media reported last week that the Blues have completed all background checks on this out-of-favor forward and are eager to finalize the deal as soon as possible.
Previously, Chelsea proposed a player swap for Garnacho, with potential chips including Nicolas Jackson or Christopher Nkunku, but Manchester United stood firm: only cash deals are acceptable, with no other options.
The £50 million that Arsenal paid for 23-year-old English international Noni Madueke has been regarded by Manchester United as the "pricing benchmark" for Garnacho's transfer. However, Chelsea values Garnacho at less than £50 million, especially considering that his relationship with Amorim has deteriorated sharply since the new manager took office in November last year – he was even excluded from the squad for the Europa League final in May this year, making their conflict completely public.
It is worth noting that Chelsea has also listed Xavi Simons as an alternative to Garnacho.
