Alejandro Garnacho could face Manchester United for the first time since leaving last summer, but does he wish he was still at the club?
Garnacho joined Chelsea from the Red Devils in a £40million transfer last August, signing a seven-year contract until the end of the 2031-32 season.
Chelsea host United on Saturday night at Stamford Bridge in what looks to be a poignant fixture for Garnacho judging by his recent social media activity.
The Argentina international has deleted all of his Chelsea posts on his TikTok, with the only four videos remaining on his account being when he was in action for their Premier League rivals.
Garnacho didn’t stop there though, reposting a video of a Manchester United fan paying tribute to him in a reflective TikTok.
The 21-year-old’s actions come in the wake of a report detailing that Chelsea are looking to strengthen in his position this summer.
According to The Telegraph, ‘Chelsea are still looking for a forward who can play off the left’ – which could prove ominous for Garnacho.
Since signing for the Blues, Garnacho has gone on to make 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
On Friday, the winger opened up about leaving United – admitting his exit ‘hurt’ after a series of clashes with the club – that he seemingly now regrets – before his move.
He fell out with then-head coach Ruben Amorim after publicly revealing his frustration at only being brought on as a late substitute in United’s dismal Europa League final defeat by Tottenham in May. His brother Roberto also stoked the fire by posting a message on social media criticising the head coach for throwing Garnacho ‘under the bus’.
Daily Mail Sport reported in June that the winger was among five United players given permission to delay their return to training while they looked for new clubs. Garnacho is understood to have been told to move on by Amorim in front of his team-mates, and he eventually did that.
Before he left United, meanwhile, he posted a picture of himself wearing an Aston Villa shirt with the name of Marcus Rashford on – his former United team-mate who was also out of favour under Amorim.
His actions didn’t go down well with fans, but he has now spoken out on his departure and how he has no ill-feelings towards United after five years at the club.
When asked by Premier League Productions if he regretted how the move panned out, he said: ‘Maybe yes, because I loved that club. They gave me the confidence from the start, from Spain, to bring me to the academy, then they bring me to the first team, so it was like four or five years, and amazing love from everyone, from the fans, the stadium, everything was really good.
‘It’s just sometimes you have to change for the good of your life or the next steps. I only have good memories of Man United.’
After a rocky start to life under Amorim, the Portuguese had praised Garnacho’s work to earn a spot back in his team, despite there being no natural fit in his back-three system.
The natural winger slotted into a No 10 role, but things went south again and he fell down the pecking order again.
That, he has said, was a key reason as to why he left – admitting that he made some questionable moves when he was out of the team.
‘I remember in the last six months I was just not playing like before at Manchester United,’ he said. ‘I started to be on the bench, it’s not a bad thing, I was only 20 years old, but in my mind it was like I had to play every game.
‘In my mind, maybe it is also on me, I started to do some bad things. But yes, it was just this moment in life and sometimes you have to make decisions and I am really proud to be here and still in the Premier League at a club like this.
‘Everyone knows the team we have and the things we can do. Sometimes, we have better moments or worse moments, I am proud to be here but with United, I have nothing wrong to say about the club, no one in the club or the team-mates. It’s just a moment in life that changes and life continues. I have no regrets.’
