Alejandro Garnacho’s £40m move from Manchester United to Chelsea could have ended differently, as the Red Devils were offered a promising star from Stamford Bridge as part of the deal.
Ruben Amorim has seen major changes in his attacking line since the beginning of the summer transfer window with the huge incomings of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha who have all helped Manchester United in their much improved start to the season.
United currently sit one point from the top four with their most recent fixture ending in a tight 2-2 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur with Matthijs De Ligt’s late headed equaliser sealing a point for United.
The summer saw many attacking players make their way out of Manchester with Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho all departing from United.
The Argentinian, Garnacho, made a permanent move to Chelsea to play under Enzo Maresca in a £40m move. However, the Italian manager had offered United the opportunity to sign a promising young player who has caught the eye of many fans in the Premier League.
Man Utd had the chance for a Garnacho and Lavia swap deal
According to ESPN, Chelsea attempted to include midfielder Romeo Lavia in exchange for Garnacho during the summer. The Belgian has suffered with an injury-filled career at Chelsea, but there is no doubt over the 21-year-old’s ability when fit.
The midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 after an impressive season at Southampton. However, the Manchester City Academy product has played only 30 games in his time at Chelsea due to a lengthy injury list.
These injury concerns were the reason that United rejected the offer and opted for a straight cash fee for Garnacho as an alternative.
Lavia, when fit, has still struggled to establish himself in Enzo Maresca’s starting lineup with competition from Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez keeping the young Belgian out.
Garnacho’s exit was inevitable
Garnacho’s time at United was put to an end after a disappointing season, which ended in a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Spurs in the Europa League final.
This loss would be the final time that Garnacho represented United competitively after he spoke out about his lack of game time in the final.
This proved to be the final straw for Amorim as Garnacho was heavily linked to Chelsea throughout the duration of the summer transfer window.
Fans may question whether Lavia could have been a good move for United with the current question marks over Kobbie Mainoo’s future as he struggles for minutes, as well as Manuel Ugarte who has underwhelmed for United.
Meanwhile, Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro have operated in the midfield for United, but with Casemiro’s contract looking to come to an end, Lavia could have proven to be a suitable option for United with his smooth ability on the ball, operating in tight spaces, similar at time to Mainoo.
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