Alejandro Garnacho makes honest admission about Manchester United after Chelsea move
Alejandro Garnacho was one of the standout stories of the 2025 summer transfer window, leaving Manchester United after a breakdown in his relationship with the club. Now settling into life at Chelsea, the Argentine winger has opened up about his departure from Old Trafford.
With Chelsea facing Benfica at Stamford Bridge, the Blues were under pressure to secure three points after losing their Champions League opener to Bayern Munich. Trusted by manager Enzo Maresca, Garnacho delivered. A sharp cross following a pass from Pedro Neto forced an own goal from Richard Rios, sealing a crucial 1-0 win for Chelsea.
After the match, Garnacho spoke to TNT Sports about his rocky start to the season, which included being left out of Manchester United’s preseason tour and forced to train on his own: “I think it was a difficult moment there, just training alone, but I have nothing bad to say about the club, my old club Manchester United.”
Despite acknowledging those struggles, Garnacho insisted he feels revitalized in London. “It was just a bad moment in life but now I’m very happy to be here and to play in this competition and to get the three points today… When we were young we dreamed of playing Champions League nights and we are here now so I’m very happy,” he added.
A lack of playing time, including being relegated to the bench in the Europa League final, cast doubt over Garnacho’s future at Manchester United last season. Manager Ruben Amorim ultimately decided the winger would not be part of the club’s plans, opening the door for a transfer ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Chelsea swooped in late in the window, paying around $54 million for Garnacho, while United retained a 10% sell-on clause. Against Benfica, the 21-year-old seized his chance, showing why Maresca views him as an important piece for the future.
Maresca pleased with Garnacho
Without a full preseason, Garnacho needed several weeks to adapt to his new teammates at Chelsea, which led to him being left out of multiple games early in the campaign. Before facing Benfica, the winger had appeared in just three of Chelsea’s first nine matches, totaling only 92 minutes.
The Benfica clash marked Garnacho’s first start for the Blues, and Maresca was quick to praise his performance afterward in the press conference: “Alejandro was very good today. Not only on the ball but defensively, he was very good in the way he pressed. In the last third he has freedom to go one-v-one when he decides. To arrive in the box is important because it’s from there we score. I was pleased with him.”