Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has told winger Alejandro Garnacho he will be allowed to join a new club this summer.
The Argentina international seemed to be on a collision course with his boss after both he and his brother posted messages around Wednesday’s Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, when Garnacho was only introduced as a 71st-minute substitute.
Speaking after the match, Garnacho said: “Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know.
“The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club. I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards.”
His brother Roberto fanned the flames further after the match, stating on social media: “Working as no-one else, helping every round, coming from two goals in the last two finals, just to be on the pitch for 19 mins and get thrown under the bus.”
As first reported by The Athletic, Garnacho has now been told by Amorim he will be allowed to leave.
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Chelsea were close to doing a deal with the 20-year-old in January but in the end it failed to materialise.
New Serie A champions Napoli were also keen on the forward, who was born in Spain and joined United’s academy from Atletico Madrid in October 2020.
Asked about Garnacho on Saturday, before Sunday’s final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa, Amorim said: “I will speak with my players but the focus is the last game.
“I don’t know what is going to happen but we have a plan.
“We were prepared for both situations, with Champions League and without. We have an idea of the type of squad we want but we still have the last game. We have time to address all these situations.”
It remains to be seen if Garnacho will be involved against Villa.
As the player classes as ‘homegrown’ under the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules, his sale would create greater flexibility for Amorim, who is preparing to reduce the size of his squad given they have no European commitments next season, to make new signings.
United have been heavily linked with Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m in his contract.
Amorim has had an uneasy relationship with Garnacho.
He had only been at United for a month when he axed the winger, along with Marcus Rashford, for the victory at Manchester City on 15 December.
Amorim said the decision was because of “training performances, game performances and engagement with team-mates”.
Unlike Rashford, Garnacho was handed an immediate recall. Yet he has always seemed an uneasy fit in the system Amorim’s prefers because there is no space for an orthodox wide player.
Although Garnacho is United’s second highest scorer this season with 11 goals, he was omitted in Bilbao as Amorim preferred Amad Diallo and Mason Mount in the advanced roles behind central striker Rasmus Hojlund.
BBC Sport
