Those who were at Old Trafford three years ago, on the night of the FA Youth Cup final, speak of being amazed by Alejandro Garnacho's performance.
Thinner then, just a child, he won a penalty that he calmly scored and ran towards the corner to imitate Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siu' celebration. He later ran freely down the left, turning in and out before taking five Nottingham Forest players out of the game to score and secure Youth Cup glory for United, their first title in 11 years.
It was a performance that underscored to fans and coaches alike that this was a player with superstar potential. Most thought United had hit the jackpot.
And that is one of the memories that some remember now; a memory tinged with sadness as talk of his departure from Manchester United intensifies this window.
Napoli are eager to get him. Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has made it clear to the Italian team's hierarchy after losing star left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for £59million to Paris Saint-Germain. Conte has already spoken directly to Garnacho to sell him his vision and unlock his superstar potential.
Chelsea are also interested and it did not go unnoticed by United staff that Garnacho's agents, Carlos Cambeiro and Quique De Lucas, curiously posted on social media that they were present at Stamford Bridge on Monday night for the Blues' victory. about the Wolves. Both Napoli and Chelsea are expected to make new offers within a couple of weeks of the transfer window.
There is a tinge of sadness surrounding Manchester United as rumors of Alejandro Garnacho's departure intensify.
Both Napoli and Chelsea are expected to make new offers with a couple of weeks to go before the January transfer window.
The Naples coach, Antonio Conte, has spoken directly with Garnacho to tell him his vision
While there is an appetite within Carrington to move on from Marcus Rashford, who has since backed away from his public claim that he wants a new challenge elsewhere, there is a reluctance to do so with Garnacho, whom United acquired from Atletico Madrid as a player. teenager for just £420,000.
Last summer, he was seen among United's 'untouchables' alongside Rasmus Hojlund and fellow FA Cup final scorer Kobbie Mainoo. But there is also a silent disclaimer that United must generate funds to alleviate concerns over the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) and sign players. A move for Garnacho is seen as a way to generate funds for a striker this month. Mainoo is not banned either.
Consider also that Garnacho does not fit naturally into the 3-4-2-1 system that head coach Ruben Amorim has promised he will never give up and it is a situation that makes Garnacho the prime suspect moving forward.
On the financial side, Garnacho's fees (which would amount to more than £60 million) represent “pure profit” as a local player. A great victory that would give Amorim great breathing space to sign players who better suit their system.
“He's talented,” Amorim said earlier this month. “He needs to learn to play in a different position. He needs to play better inside.
“He gets a lot better in the recovery position when he doesn't have the ball. But by doing that, sometimes he's not in the right place to make transitions like he was in the past.
'I prefer to defend and then build with the whole team to reach the final third. He's finding the best way to play in this system. He is improving during training. I think it changed the way he sees himself.'
Those who know Garnacho well speak of a deeply misunderstood player, who does not have the ego that many online pretend he has.
United manager Ruben Amorim described Garnacho as someone who has “talent” but added that he “needs to learn to play in a different position.”
A wide player by nature, Amorim urged Garnacho to “play better inside” in his 3-4-2-1 system.
Earlier this season he was thrown out of United's Manchester derby squad for a show of displeasure with Amorim in Plzen, having appeared to turn his back on Amorim and walk away while the United manager gave him instructions on the touchline. This was put down to a misunderstanding, underlined by the fact that Garnacho has once again ingratiated himself with the group where Rashford had not.
He can be especially quiet off the field and keeps his inner circle small. One source even suggested that while he idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he played for a time at United, Garnacho differs from him in that the Argentine can often border on shyness around others, something Ronaldo never did. runs in danger.
Even amid fierce scrutiny over his future and the disappointing defeat to Brighton on Sunday, Garnacho, along with Amad Diallo, was determined to attend a foundation school event in Moss Side on Monday, where he played on the playground of recreation before conducting a question and answer session.
Criticism from fans also hurts Garnacho more than others. Earlier this season, before facing PAOK in the Europa League, he was attacked and confronted outside Old Trafford by a supporter who was critical of his performances.
Days later he scored against Leicester and decided not to celebrate, and Bruno Fernandes detailed how Garnacho felt he had “lost the faith” of some fans.
Shortly thereafter, he was made a scapegoat online for accusations that he was the source of team news leaks coming out of the locker room. United sources stridently believe that Garnacho has never leaked lineups and felt he was being unfairly attacked shortly after being confronted by the fan on the pitch.
It is one of several reasons, including the FA investigation in 2023 over an alleged racist post praising teammate Andre Onana with two gorilla emojis, which was later deleted, for which he deleted his X account this season.
It is often forgotten that Garnacho is only 20 years old. At that tender age, he is United's third-highest contributor in goals and assists this season, is an Argentine international with eight caps, won a Puskas Award and started 37 consecutive games for the club. last season and won the Copa América, League Cup and FA Cup.
The Argentinian can often border on shyness in front of others, believing that he is often misunderstood by the public.
Garnacho was said to have “lost faith” in some fans earlier in the season, choosing not to celebrate after scoring against Leicester.
At just 20 years old, Garnacho is United's third-highest contributor in goals and assists this season.
Note also that he ranks first in goal involvement among players under 21 since the start of the 2022-23 season in Europe's top five leagues. He has 37, surpassing Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Manchester City's Savinho, who are in second place with 35.
Garnacho is also one of the first through the Carrington gates each day, despite Amorim pushing back the required arrival time for players by an hour compared to his predecessor Erik ten Hag. Garnacho made the decision to stick to the same times set by Ten Hag, so he takes his prep work seriously.
And so the question arises: how could United consider selling a player who is as resilient as Garnacho, as talented as Garnacho and as determined as Garnacho? Especially when he himself is not pushing to leave the football club.
The answer lies in his courage and that, no matter how determined he is to adapt to Amorim's demands in the short time they have been working together, his new boss does not believe he has the defensive discipline to become a full-back – as has been claimed. made with Amad Diallo – and that he is not a natural number 10. As such, there is no place for it.
Against Southampton last week, Garnacho started as one of two number 10s and often found himself looking to Amorim on the bench for reassurance. Even then, he ended up veering left before Amorim yelled at him to go back in.
With Amorim, Garnacho has played 14 times, starting only six. He scored a goal and an assist, and his influence on games is diminishing now that he can't play to his strengths as an orthodox left winger.
He is a player who goes into the background where once the Old Trafford pitch, and that left wing, were his center of attention.
The future may be taken out of his hands and decided in the boardrooms of Manchester, London or Naples, but before pulling the trigger, United would do well to heed Ten Hag's advice.
The reason United are considering selling him is due to his value as there is currently no place for him in Amorim's squad.
United must decide whether pure profits or player potential are higher on their priority list
“He is a player who needs a challenge, he likes challenges, he is very brave, he has a lot of confidence, our job is to take him to high levels,” Ten Hag said last year. “It has great potential and now we have to take advantage of it.”
Now United must decide whether pure profits or players' potential are higher on their list of priorities.