Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim praised Alejandro Garnacho for his impressive display at Old Trafford during the team’s 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal on Sunday.
The 20-year-old Argentine winger caused constant problems for the visitors down the right flank, winning a game-high four fouls, including the one that led to Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick goal before halftime.
Garnacho also showcased his attacking intent by delivering two crosses and winning most of his duels, marking a notable improvement from recent performances.
This followed his missed opportunity in Thursday’s 1-1 Europa League draw against Real Sociedad and criticism over his reaction to being substituted in last month’s 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town, where he walked straight down the tunnel instead of taking a seat on the bench.
“I think Garnacho made a really complete game. He was upset last Thursday and today, he was amazing,” Amorim told Sky Sports after Sunday’s match.
In January, ESPN reported that Napoli had submitted a €50 million bid for Alejandro Garnacho, who joined Manchester United’s academy in 2020. This came after manager Ruben Amorim left Garnacho and Marcus Rashford out of the squad in December, emphasizing the need for higher standards and greater competitiveness.
However, Amorim later expressed his support for the young winger, noting that Garnacho had adjusted his attitude and was showing significant improvement at United.
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho was caught in an awkward viral moment when he appeared to ignore a young fan seeking an autograph while sitting in his Range Rover.
After United’s FA Cup loss to Fulham at Old Trafford on Sunday, a supporter approached Garnacho, who was seen scrolling on his phone in the driver’s seat of his £120,000 Range Rover.
However, he drove off without acknowledging the fan, according to The Daily Mail.
Garnacho has been a divisive figure among United fans during the club’s disappointing 2024-25 season. Despite this, he has contributed seven goals and six assists in 41 appearances across all competitions.
In January, he was linked with potential moves to Napoli and Chelsea, and reports suggest United may consider offers for him again this summer.
The Argentine forward has had tense moments with fans before. In November, he refused to celebrate his goal against Leicester at Old Trafford after being taunted by a supporter ahead of a game against PAOK days earlier.
The fan said to Garnacho,“Pass better today, score a goal and work on your touch as well, yeah?” Garnacho walked away and replied, “Why are you not playing man?”
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho was seemingly stopped by teammate Casemiro from mimickingCristiano Ronaldo’s signature celebration during their Carabao Cup clash against Barnsley.
Garnacho was one of three United players to score twice as Erik ten Hag’s team dominated in a resounding 7-0 victory, advancing comfortably to the fourth round.
The Argentina netted on either side of halftime, while Marcus Rashford and Christian Eriksen also bagged two goals each. Ten Hag expressed satisfaction after Antony successfully converted a penalty, marking his first goal of the season.
Despite the jubilant atmosphere at Old Trafford, Casemiro’s subtle intervention hinted at a desire to keep things in check when Garnacho looked ready to celebrate like Ronaldo after his first goal.
Fans believe Casemiro tried to stop Garnacho from hitting Ronaldo’s iconic celebration, with some suggesting the midfielder didn’t want to see Garnacho get in trouble for mimicking compatriot Lionel Messi’s biggest rival.
“Casemiro was stopping Garnacho from doing Ronaldo celebrations coz they’ll kick him out of the Argentina squad,” wrote @NoodleHairCR7 on X.
@kobbieEraa added: “Unc knew the backlash he was going to receive from Pessi fans.”
Meanwhile, @StraightAtHim said: “Bruno and Casemiro really try and stop him after every goal. But Garnacho is absolutely shameless. I love him.”
“Man, look at the way Casemiro was dragging him so he doesn’t do Ronaldo’s celebration, wrote @paapywes, while @Johnny19United added: “Look at the way Casemiro tells him not to and Garnacho shrugs him off.. love it he does what he wants!”
That’s back-to-back wins for Ten Hag’s side, and they’ll look to keep things going at Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.
United will then start preparing for their Europa League opener against Twente, before closing out the month with a blockbuster league clash against Tottenham.
Alejandro Garnacho faced criticism for wearing “two earrings” during his warm-up at Manchester United,while Antony’s celebrations in the FA Cup were labelled as “naff.”
United faced Coventry in the semi-finals at Wembley on Sunday, where they struggled despite initially holding a three-goal lead.
Erik ten Hag’s side eventually secured victory on penalties, but Graeme Souness and others were unimpressed by the demeanour of some United players.
The Liverpool legend has taken aim at Garnacho in particular, telling talkSPORT of the Argentina international winger: “Garnacho, for me, is an exceptionally talented young man. But I worry about it. It’s just an observation—call me old-fashioned, call me a dinosaur—but he’s got two earrings in the warm-up on the pitch.
He’s a young boy just learning the game. Coming back to the point that Joe Cole would have made about good senior pros, pointing out to younger guys how you live your life, how you act, how you train, and your attitude towards life.
And I just worry—it’s an age-old thing; it’s not a new thing at Manchester United—they have always been the most glamorous club in this country, and just like Bayern Munich in Germany is called FC Hollywood, I think you can use the same term to talk about Manchester United.
They get too much too soon at Manchester United. They get so much attention, Manchester United players, and I think it’s to their detriment.
Especially in the modern game, when the kind of rewards these boys get, they get far too much far too soon. I think Marcus Rashford is a case in point. He’s 26; he should just be approaching his best years, but it looks like his best years have gone.”
Souness has also blasted Brazilian forward Antony for his penalty shootout celebrations, which saw him cup his ears in the direction of devastated Coventry players.
The Scot added: “For a player to act like that, it’s naff. You just don’t do that as a Manchester United player. It wasn’t Real Madrid you’d just knocked out. It was Coventry, a team from the Championship. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it from him, doing daft stuff.”
While questions continue to be asked of United in what has been another inconsistent campaign, with speculation suggesting that Ten Hag may not bein a job at Old Trafford for much longer, the Red Devils are now looking forward to another FA Cup final derby date with arch-rivals Manchester City on May 25.
During Manchester United’s 1-0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, Alejandro Garnacho faced criticism for pushing Kingsley Coman into the advertising hoardings, earning him the label of a “hooligan.”
https://youtu.be/NRviFZYqLP0
The incident reflected the current challenges and frustrations at United, with manager Erik ten Hag under pressure to secure results.
Despite Coman scoring the winning goal, United’s disappointing Champions League campaign has left them with their lowest point total and the most goals conceded in any group stage.
With their European journey over, United now shift focus to the Premier League and FA Cup, starting with a challenging match against league leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
After Onana’s outstanding performance in Man United’s UEFA Champions League victory over Copenhagen, Garnacho posted a picture of Onana and included a caption featuring a Gorilla emoji while celebrating his heroics.
Onana made a crucial save by stopping a 90th-minute penalty, preventing Copenhagen from scoring an equalizer, resulting in a 1-0 victory for Man United.
The young Argentine forward deleted the tweet a short while later following criticism for the tweet that was perceived as having racial connotations.
Onana, in reaction, stated he is not offended and that he fully understands the message behind Ganarcho’s post, which is ‘power and strength’.
“People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what @garnacho7 meant: power & strength. This matter should go no further,” he posted on Instagram.
The Football Association (FA) is currently monitoring the situation and may consider taking action regarding the matter.
A new, long-term contract withManchester Unitedhas been inked by Alejandro Garnacho.
The 18-year-old winger signed a contract with the Premier League team on Friday that would keep him there until June 2028.
Garnacho has played for the Red Devils’ first team in 31 games, and it looks like there will be many more.
After graduating from the United academy, the player said: “When I joined this magnificent club, I dreamed of making my debut, playing at Old Trafford, scoring my first goal, and winning trophies with this emblem on my breast.
“I feel very proud and emotional to have experienced these moments already, together with my family who have supported me every step of the way.
“We are all humbled to have this chance to continue our journey at Manchester United and I have already begun to work on achieving the next set of targets and ambitions.
“The manager and his coaching staff have helped me to improve in every way, and with their support, I am developing each day to help the team to be successful.
“I am relishing the future and can’t wait to create more special memories with this group, in front of our amazing supporters.”
The teenager has been out since last month due to an ankle injury, but is set to make his return as United attempt to secure a top-four finish and win the FA Cup.
United boss Erik ten Hag on Friday revealed Garnacho will not be allowed to represent Argentina when they host the U20 World Cup, which starts on May 20.
Alejandro Garnacho is enjoying a breakthrough season at Manchester United under Erik ten Hag.
After making his debut for the club last term, the winger has amassed 15 appearances this campaign, scoring twice.
Last Saturday, Garnacho became the youngest player to provide a Premier League assist in a Manchester derby when he set up Marcus Rashford’s winner aged 18 years and 197 days.
Ahead of United’s trip to Crystal Palace tonight, we turn the spotlight on the talented youngster and take a look at what the future might hold for Garnacho.
Star on the rise
Garnacho has been in demand from an early age. Starting his youth career at Getafe, he was poached by Atletico Madrid in 2015, when he was just 11 years old.
Five years later, United paid £420,000 to bring the Madrid native to England, despite the fact that he was not a regular in Atleti’s youth setup.
In his second season at the club, Garnacho won the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award and scored twice in a 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Youth Cup final.
Even before he had received that prestigious Under-18s accolade — following in the footsteps of the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Marcus Rashford — the starlet had made his first-team debut against Chelsea in April 2022.
Hard work pays off
Erik ten Hag saw a turnaround in Alejandro Garnacho’s attitude
Ten Hag’s arrival last May has certainly accelerated Garnacho’s development.
However, the Dutch boss was not immediately impressed with the Argentina U-20s international.
After giving Garnacho his full debut against FC Sheriff last October, Ten Hag said: “I was not happy with him.
“The last weeks I was happy with him, a better attitude, more resilience.”
Such comments can often have much to do with a manager trying to keep a youngster from becoming complacent, but they were later echoed by a senior player.
After Garnacho scored the winning goal in United’s 1-0 Europa League success at Real Sociedad, playmaker Bruno Fernandes gave his thoughts on the tricky forward’s development.
Fernandes said: “At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best.
“In the tour, he didn’t have the best attitude that he should’ve had. He’s getting his chances because he’s training better, he’s having a different attitude and he’s deserving his chances.”
At the races in derby win
It is a positive for any club to have both a manager and leaders in the changing room demanding the highest standards are met by young players that are entering the first-team squad.
When that club is United, thoughts immediately turn to their most successful manager Alex Ferguson, who was always ready to give the next generation an opportunity but had high expectations.
Getting the balance right between tough love and positivity is a challenge for any manager. Though Ten Hag has clearly tried to keep Garnacho’s feet on the ground, he was quick to give praise after the 2-1 win against fierce local rivals City.
Ten Hag said: “He has a skill that I don’t see many players in the Premier League having — he beats players one on one.
“He’s learnt in the last months about how to play in a team, how to live, how to do the right things in the week, how to have the right attitude on the training ground and you see how he’s acting as a team player and with his individual skills that can make the difference.”
Alejandro Garnacho has exhibited his talents for Manchester United this season
Key cameo role
The future looks bright for Garnacho at Old Trafford, but with Marcus Rashford generally playing in his favoured left-wing position, he may have to be content with cameo appearances and starts in cup competitions for now.
With the highly-skilled talent still being so young, there is plenty of time for him to grow into a regular starter in a United squad where competition for places is growing.
Already, he seems to have leapfrogged older players such as Anthony Elanga and Facundo Pellistri in the pecking order, with a fresh challenge coming in the form of the returning Jadon Sancho.
The Red Devils are now on the fringes of the title race and look assured of Champions League football next season, which will enable them to further improve their options in attack.
The good news for Garnacho is that his many attributes mean Ten Hag will continue to give him opportunities from the bench against tiring defences.
Right now, he is making the most of those chances.
Prior to the World Cup, the 18-year-old made an impressive transition into the Red Devils’ starting lineup by scoring his first club goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Fulham.
Spanish outlet Revelo suggest the Argentine has caught Real Madrid’s eye, with the European champions keen to add him to their ranks.
With wonderkids such as Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Federico Valverde already thriving at the Bernabeu, Los Blancos chiefs believe Garnacho could be their next star in the making.
The winger’s current contract expires next summer and United are already in talks to tie down their academy prospect to an extension.
Garnacho was born in the Spanish capital and spent five years at Atletico Madrid before switching to Old Trafford in 2020.
Real have been busy in the hunt for exciting future prospects, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that a deal to sign Brazilian wonderkid Endrick is verbally agreed.
Marca say the club have decided against moving for AC Milan forward Rafael Leao or PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo.
That will hand United a boost in landing Netherlands star Gakpo, 23, who is their top target after an impressive World Cup campaign.
Bruno Fernandes credited Alejandro Garnacho for improving his previously poor attitude after the teenager marked a rare Manchester United start with the winner against Real Sociedad.
Garnacho was named United’s under-18s Player of the Year last season but has largely remained on the periphery of the first-team squad under Erik ten Hag this campaign.
The teenager proved his worth on Thursday, though, scoring his first senior goal for United with a first-half strike in a 1-0 win at La Real in the Europa League.
While the 18-year-old will hope to feature more for Ten Hag at Old Trafford now, Fernandes says he must continue with a much-improved attitude after failing to impress in pre-season with the senior side.
“He was good but he knows we expect at lot from him. He’s still really young. He’s doing really well,” the Portugal international told BT Sport.
“At the beginning of the season, not at his best, in the tour he didn’t have the best attitude that he should have and that’s why he didn’t get his chances until now.
“Now he’s getting chances because he’s training better, he’s having a better attitude and he deserves his chances.”
Garnacho’s strike may earn him a share of the plaudits but United still had to settle for second in Group E after Imanol Alguacil’s side topped the pool by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
Juventus and Barcelona, both sides to be eliminated from the Champions League, could await United in the Europa League’s knockout play-off round, with the draw set to take place on Monday.
Despite not progressing as winners of the group after failing to secure the two-goal win that was required, Fernandes believes the victory will offer Ten Hag’s side encouragement.
“Obviously, we knew that we needed a two-goal difference to go through at the top of the group, but it was not possible,” he added.
“But we won the game, we keep the momentum, we didn’t concede a goal once again, so we have to keep the positives of this game, and there are many positives – much more than negatives.
“So it’s just [about] keeping the momentum on Sunday [when United visit Aston Villa in the Premier League].”
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