Chelsea have already been sent clear dressing room warning about Alejandro Garnacho

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed that Alejandro Garnacho didn't "have the best attitude" when he emerged from the club's youth system.

The 21-year-old Argentine forward has now cut all ties with the Red Devils, having completed his move to Chelsea. Garnacho signed his first professional contract with United in 2022, following his transfer from Atletico Madrid two years prior.

However, Fernandes suggested that Garnacho lacked the right attitude when he was first promoted to the senior squad under Erik ten Hag. Speaking to BT Sport in November 2022, after Garnacho's decisive goal in a Europa League group stage match against Real Sociedad, Fernandes said: "He was good but he knows we expect a lot from him.

"He's still really young, doing really well. At the beginning of the season, he was not at his best. On the [pre-season] tour he did not have the best attitude. That's why he didn't get his chance, until now. He's getting chances because he's training better, he's having the correct attitude."

During his debut season for United, Garnacho had plenty of opportunities, scoring three goals and providing two assists in the Premier League across 19 appearances. While it seemed that the youngster would also feature in Ruben Amorim's plans when the Portuguese head coach took over from Ten Hag, circumstances changed as the summer approached.

Amorim's decision to let Garnacho go Old Trafford came after the winger (publicly) criticised his omission from the starting line-up in the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho was only brought on during the second half of the 1-0 loss in Bilbao.

Following the match, he expressed his disappointment to the media: "Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today, I don't know. I'm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next."

He also lambasted the club's Premier League performance as they ended up in 15th place, stating: "Obviously it's hard for everyone. Our season was s***. We didn't beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don't score goals, you always need more."

As reported by The Athletic, Amorim is alleged to have told Garnacho: "You'd better hope you have a good agent this summer," during a training ground chat before United's final match of the season against Aston Villa. Following this, the player made it clear that Chelsea was his preferred destination.

While Chelsea were not in any rush to submit an official offer for Garnacho, they eventually secured their target in the final stages of the summer transfer window, shelling out £40million to bring him over from United on a longer-term contract running until 2032.

Taking to Instagram following his departure, Garnacho was quick to show his appreciation to the Red Devils and their fans for his time in the north west. He penned: "Dear Manchester. 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 teammates, 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."

Chelsea fans will need to wait patiently before witnessing Garnacho pull on the blue shirt for his new side - owing to the current international break. The Blues are due to return to action on Saturday, 13 September, when they face neighbours Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Story Saved

You can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.