Manchester United have been told it “wouldn’t be the end of the world” if they sold Alejandro Garnacho.
Garnacho has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford this month, having started just five games under Ruben Amorim so far. Napoli are keen to sign the winger as a potential replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is close to joining PSG.
Garnacho is said to be open to a move to Italy, with the Independent reporting that United will demand a fee similar to the £70million Napoli are set to receive for Kvaratskhelia. Fellow academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has also been linked with a move away from Old Trafford
Talks over a contract extension for the midfielder are ongoing and both Chelsea and Bayern Munich are monitoring the situation, with United unwilling to match Mainoo’s wage demands of £200,000 per week.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes United would be making a major error if they sold Mainoo, but he has urged them to accept a big money offer for Garnacho. Speaking on The Overlap, Carragher said: “Mainoo you’ve got to keep.
“Mainoo looks to me like he could be a really good player. But Garnacho, I don’t know. If you got good money for Garnacho… I think if you got a good offer for him it wouldn’t be the end of the world.”
However, United legend Gary Neville has admitted that the prospect of letting an academy graduate leave does not sit well with him. “I don’t like the idea of United selling academy players,” he said.
“I didn’t like it when Chelsea were selling their ones when they were in the first-team, I certainly don’t like the idea of United doing it. I get it if they’re on the cusp of playing but if they’re actually in the first-team, you can’t…”
Amorim, meanwhile, has admitted Garnacho is still getting used to his 3-4-3 system which does not utilise traditional wingers. When asked if Garnacho had a big future at United, Amorim said: “That is clear, he has talent. He needs to learn to play a little bit in a different position. He needs to play better inside.
“He improved a lot in the recovering position, when he doesn’t have the ball, but, doing that, sometimes he’s not in the right place to make transitions, like he was in the past, because I prefer to defend and then build up with all the team to make the final third. So he’s finding the best way to play in this system. He’s improving, during training.”
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