Alejandro Garnacho denied dream Chelsea welcome gift as Enzo Maresca tasked with new challenge

Chelsea cannot offer Alejandro Garnacho his desired shirt number. The 21-year-old winger, who was in attendance at Stamford Bridge for the Blues' 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday afternoon, has joined Enzo Maresca's squad in a deal worth £40m.

football.london understands that Chelsea reached an agreement with Manchester United on Thursday evening, marking the end of their eight-month pursuit. The Blues tried to sign Garnacho in January - but were unsuccessful - with the Red Devils batting away approaches from numerous clubs.

The Argentina international was a regular in Ruben Amorim's side, until he was dropped to the subs bench for the Europa League final, despite having started in each of the knockout rounds. Then, the United boss raised eyebrows when he omitted Garnacho from the matchday squad on the final day of the Premier League season.

A few days later, Amorim informed the winger that he could leave Old Trafford. Garnacho was left at home for the Red Devils' pre-season tour of the United States, reigniting interest in west London.

Chelsea eventually wrapped up a deal for the Argentine, who has signed a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. While the likes of Reece James and Joao Pedro - among others - are on international duty, Maresca will be working hard to ensure Garnacho finds his feet.

The youngster could quickly become a fan favourite as he attempts to show United what they're missing out on. Unfortunately for Garnacho, he won't be able to wear either of his favourite numbers, though.

The No.7 is currently worn by Pedro Neto - and Andrey Santos picked No.17 when he returned from a season-long loan at Strasbourg earlier this summer. The new Chelsea forward could, however, take No.19 or No.22 - which have proven popular among some big names in the past.

At Chelsea, No.19 has - previously - been worn by the likes of Mason Mount, Diego Costa and Tore André Flo. Meanwhile, Willian and Eidur Gudjohnsen once donned No.22.

If neither of those shirts enamours Garnacho, he could always go down the same path as Estevao Willian, who selected No.41 following his move from Palmeiras.

The Argentine briefly wore No.49 at United, which happens to be available at Chelsea. Whether Garnacho decides to build his own legacy or follow in the footsteps of an all-time great, Maresca has been tasked with ensuring that his new player settles in west London over the international break.

"It's an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club," the former United ace told club media. "I can't wait to get started. I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special - we're the best team in the world! It's amazing to be here, I'm very happy."

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