Chelsea have made a shocking investigation into Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, reports claim, and his future at Old Trafford is increasingly uncertain.
Garnacho appeared to have been left out of the competition under manager Ruben Amorim but started in United's wins over Arsenal and Southampton last week.
However, according to The AthleticThe Blues have held initial talks over the 20-year-old as they assess the possibility of a strike this month.
United manager Ruben Amorim has expressed his desire to keep Garnacho at the club and recently praised him for adapting to his system.
However, almost the entire United squad is effectively in danger due to the club's dire financial situation, raising the possibility that the player could be released over the next fortnight if his rating is reached.
Garnacho was said to have been the subject of a £40m bid from Napoli but was reportedly rejected, while other clubs in Europe are likely to be circling.
He graduated from United's famous youth academy after being poached from Atlético Madrid and has made 117 appearances for the club, scoring 23 goals.
Garnacho already has eight goals this season, having participated 31 times.
“I think it changed the way he sees himself,” Amorim said.
“He is finding the best way to play in this system and is improving during training.
“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.”
As exclusively revealed by Mail Sport, Garnacho was completely ruled out of United's derby win over Manchester City in December after angering Amorim, but has since battled his way back into the starting XI despite off-field speculation.
Crucially, any sale would represent pure profit on United's books and could allow the club to enter the transfer market before it slams shut on February 3.
Chelsea have also reportedly held talks over Borussia Dortmund talent Jamie Gittens as they look to strengthen Enzo Maresca's options on the flanks.
More to follow.
