Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe could not stop smiling when news of Chelsea’s offer for Alejandro Garnacho reached him | OneFootball

Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe could not stop smiling when he was told how much Chelsea were offering for Alejandro Garnacho last summer, according to the Daily Star.

The Argentine left Man United for the Blues in a £40 million deal, with the Old Trafford club including a 10 per cent sell-on fee in the package.

Garnacho joined the Red Devils in 2020 as an academy player from Atletico Madrid, making his first-team debut in 2022 and playing 144 games for their senior side.

Man United had been keen to hold on to the attacker for as long as they could but his attitudes kept putting them off and they decided to part ways with him.

He claimed to be joining the best team in the world after completing the move, but Chelsea are struggling right now and Garnacho has not been able to break into their starting line-up.

The 21-year-old has one goal in 22 Premier League games for the Stamford Bridge club this term and there have been reports that they plan to sell him in the summer.

The former Man United star irked Red Devils supporters during his final months at the club, uploading a picture of himself wearing an Aston Villa jersey a couple of weeks before leaving.

Garnacho angered his former teammates following his interview after the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in 2024-25.

He slammed former Man United boss Ruben Amorim for not starting him and was told by the Portuguese afterwards to find a new club.

Chelsea likely regret doing the deal given how underwhelming he has been for them, and it is clear to see why Ratcliffe was more than happy to let him go for £40m.

Garnacho has found out that the grass is not always greener on the other side, but he still has plenty of years ahead to prove his quality and he will be desperate to do so.