Napoli have received a boost regarding their summer pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho, with Manchester United reportedly dropping the player’s transfer price.
Napoli had a keen interest in the forward in the January window, and there was a realistic chance for a transfer to happen, but in the end, nothing concrete materialised. At that time, reports suggested that Manchester United were demanding £60 million, but that demand has now reportedly decreased.
Antonio Conte is a giant fan of the player, who is currently enjoying his most productive season for United from a statistical standpoint. However, he is also being criticized for his performances, and a move away from the club is still possible.
At the beginning of Ruben Amorim’s reign, the winger had fallen out of favor, but after Amad’s injury, he has gradually begun to regain the Portuguese coach’s thoughts and starting elevens.
With that being said, United are still reportedly ready to accept a cut-price deal for the academy graduate this summer, with Napoli the main club lurking despite previous interest from Chelsea.
Napoli given boost in Garnacho chase
Napoli have been given a boost in their chase for Alejandro Garnacho, with Il Mattino reporting Manchester United have lowered his asking price from £60 million to £40 million. According to the report, the Italian side balked at the £60 million tag in January but are more willing to negotiate for a lower price.
Conte made Garnacho a prime target in the last window, and talks took place between the clubs regarding a deal. No agreement could be reached in the end and Garnacho has since won a place back in Amorim’s starting line-up as a right-sided forward.
However, the above report clarifies that Conte has not given up in his pursuit of the player, likely still seeing him as an eventual replacement for the recently departed Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
“Conte does not give up on Garnacho,” the Italian outlet claimed. “He considers him to be a little crack, a little jewel. Manchester United could accept £40m. The offer that De Laurentiis considers the right one? We’ll see in June.”
If Garnacho joins Napoli in the summer, it would be the second deal made between the clubs in the space of a year, with Scott McTominay’s move last summer already proving to be a major success.
Despite scoring against Leicester before the international break, the winger has been out of form for the club recently and has faced criticism for his performances. Nicolas Tagliafico, an opponent of United for Lyon in a game that takes place Thursday, has come out in support of the Argentine, declaring he can still become a “great star”.
Amorim has been clear that Garnacho can improve on virtually everything on his ascent to becoming a top player, but he has continued to back the 20-year-old publicly while also giving him opportunities on the pitch.
“Garnacho needs to improve the way he runs, the way he defends, scores and assists,” Amorim recently stated. “He is improving.
“He is doing the right things. Like any player in our team, he has to choose better in the last third. Bruno is the only one scoring goals easily”.
United should keep Garnacho
Form is a bizarre thing in football. Last season Garnacho won the Puskas award and was among the nominees for the Golden Boy award, and yet this season everyone seems ready to give up on him.
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Selling him to Napoli could be something they regret in the months to come. Amorim has quietly been pushing Garnacho to be the main man recently, and he is getting into brilliant positions. All he needs to add is the final touch to his game.
The coaching staff must correctly develop and protect this player. Due to the number of games he’s played, it’s easy to forget he’s just 20, but he’s shown enough in that time for United to understand internally that they have a high-potential talent on their hands.
Once he gets that into his game, he can and should become unstoppable. The club can’t risk Garnacho’s sale after the Paul Pogba incident. This player can become anything if the mentality is right and the environment thrives. INEOS and United must get one half of the cocktail right. The other half is up to the player.
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