Chelsea close to signing Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho | OneFootball

Chelsea are close to agreeing a £40 million deal for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, according to The Telegraph.

The Blues need another winger to provide competition for Jamie Gittens and have been eyeing the Argentine. A move to the West London outfit is now imminent.

Make no mistake, this is a terrific piece of business for Chelsea, who have beat out competition from Aston Villa, the Saudi Pro League, and Bayern Munich.

Paying £40m for a 21-year-old Premier League attacker who averages 3.5 shots, eight touches in the box per 90, and six progressive carries per 90 is an outright bargain.

With nearly 100 league appearances for one of the most scrutinised clubs in world football, Garnacho has proven he can thrive under the brightest spotlights.

Garnacho bagged 11 goals and 10 assists last season.

That Chelsea are landing him for below £50 million in this market is less about his ability and more about United’s dysfunctional recruitment and squad planning.

Yes, there are question marks off the pitch, from his brother’s antics to his own flashes of petulance, but on the pitch, the numbers are undeniable.

It is far easier to refine a player who already takes shots at a high volume than to try to manufacture that volume from scratch.

For context, most 21-year-olds in the Premier League struggle to average even two shots per 90 minutes.

Garnacho comfortably exceeds that, which is a massive green flag for his long-term ceiling.

With better efficiency in front of goal, Chelsea could be looking at one of Europe’s most dangerous wide forwards over the next decade.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are trying to sell young winger Tyrique George.

The Cobham Academy graduate proved a useful option last term, but with the Blues lining up a deal for Garnacho, he will need to leave for game time.

RB Leipzig and AS Roma have been credited with interest in George, with the Italian outfit reportedly considering a formal bid.