I think Alejandro Garnacho is more like me than Cristiano Ronaldo at Man United, says ex-winger

Alejandro Garnacho idolises Cristiano Ronaldo but another former Manchester United winger believes the Argentine plays more like he did.

Garnacho, 19, has quickly become one of United’s most important players this term. He was an incredible option from the bench last season but has stepped up his game under Erik ten Hag in recent months.

The teenager started his 30th game in a row against Chelsea on Thursday evening and scored twice in the encounter before his teammates let the game slip between their fingers in the final moments of the match.

With nine goals and four assists this term, Garnacho has taken on a key role for Ten Hag. In the latest game, he celebrated like his idol Cristiano Ronaldo when he put United 3-2 up.

It’s not the first time, either. Garnacho has not made it a secret that the Portuguese superstar was his idol growing up, and he even played with Ronaldo on many occasions at Old Trafford last season before his exit.

However, Ronaldo’s former teammate Luis Nani believes that United’s young star has a closer skillset to his than the ex-Real Madrid man.

Both players donned the no.17 shirt at United and Garnacho has been displaying all the traits that Nani believed he offered during his time at Old Trafford.

“When I watch Garnacho, he reminds me of myself,” said Nani when speaking to The Mirror. “He even has the No.17 shirt – the same number I wore. When he changed to that number this season, he started scoring some goals, so that’s been good for him.

“He’s not afraid of taking defenders on, making the runs, making assists. He’s a very good player, he has so much time to improve his game and get stronger. He will be fantastic in the future.

“At United, it’s about going face-to-face with defenders, trying to dribble past opponents and changing the game,” said Nani. “Garnacho is a player who has been showing that in the last few months.

“His game is more similar to mine when I was at United than Cristiano’s. He’s a very exciting player and I hope in the future he can win titles with the club and help it to be successful again.”

Nani played 230 games for United, scoring 41 goals and registering 71 assists.