Alejandro Garnacho's regret claim speaks volumes after Man Utd's painful statement

Alejandro Garnacho left Manchester United to join Chelsea this summer after the Argentinian star fell out of favour with Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim

Manchester United may have viewed Alejandro Garnacho as one of the future stars of the club, but the player clearly felt otherwise.

Chelsea signed Garnacho from United in August for £40million after he had a breakdown in relations with Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim. Just a little over a year ago, in December 2024, United congratulated Garnacho after the 21-year-old winger was named the year's FIFA Puskas Award winner, signifying a deep admiration for their player.

Despite the affection bestowed upon Garnacho by the Red Devils, it appears the sentiment was not entirely reciprocal, with Garnacho expressing zero regret at leaving the red side of Manchester.

The Argentinian won the award for his breathtaking goal against Everton in November 2023, where he pulled off a stunning overhead kick.

After the goal was acknowledged as the best goal scored anywhere in the world between August 2023 and August 2024, United ensured to congratulate their young starlet. Their statement hinted at a long future to come between player and club.

A United statement read: "Congratulations to Alejandro Garnacho, who is the winner of the FIFA Puskas Award for 2024. The Manchester United winger has been recognised for the stunning, acrobatic bicycle kick he netted at Everton in November 2023. Well done to our No. 17, and thanks to all those who supported him. It's a goal that we'll cherish for years to come."

Garnacho even followed in the footsteps of his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, and became just the second United player ever to be named the winner of the award after the Portuguese icon. Ronaldo was the inaugural recipient back in 2009 for his long-range strike against FC Porto in the 2008/09 season while playing for United.

However, a year on and Garnacho is in Chelsea blue. After leaving Old Trafford, the winger bluntly conceded that his goodbye was not a painful one.

He even claimed leaving United was a necessary step in his career. Asked whether he had any regrets, Garnacho said “No.” Quizzed on whether he felt sorrow about how his time at United ended, he repeated: “No.”

He added: “Sometimes in life you need to change things to take a step forward or improve as a player,” Garnacho explained. “It was the right moment, and the right club. So it was an easy decision.”

Speaking to the Chelsea's official media channel when joining the club, Garnacho didn't hesitate to crown the Blues as the best club in the world

"I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special," he said. "We're the best team in the world! It's amazing to be here and I'm very happy."

Garnacho made 144 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 26 goals and bagging 22 assists. While he considered moving to west London as the best move for him, he did leave United with a goodbye message that suggests he did foster some affection for his former club.

Garnacho, who has four goals and two assists in 18 appearances for Chelsea, said: "After an unforgettable five years, this special chapter in my life now comes to a close. We have created moments that will stay with me forever, and I'm very grateful for this.

"To the coaches, staff, and my team-mates, thank you for believing in me. Every time I wore the badge, I gave everything I had. I leave proud of what we achieved together and excited for what's to come. Wishing the club nothing but success for the future, while I look forward to giving my all in the next chapter of my career."