Atletico Madrid emerge as surprise suitors for wantaway United star hailed as Amorim’s ‘shining light’ last season

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·4 Juni 2025

Atletico Madrid emerge as surprise suitors for wantaway United star hailed as Amorim’s ‘shining light’ last season

When the dust settles on Matheus Cunha’s early Old Trafford switch and a potential acquisition of Bryan Mbeumo, Manchester United must turn their attention to outgoings.

Fans have been well aware heading into the window that sales are essential for INEOS to sufficiently bolster Ruben Amorim’s squad and give him a shot at competing amongst those at the top of the table in 2025/2026.

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When the side fell to a dismal defeat in the Europa League final, it made their financial situation even more precarious.

United to bolster ranks with Premier League-proven duo

According to reports, the Reds will pay Wolverhampton Wanderers an upfront lump sum for Cunha before paying the rest of his £62.5 million price tag in instalments over two years.

A deal is yet to be agreed upon for Bryan Mbeumo, who has prioritised a move to United over the likes of Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, but talks have begun between the two sides.

It’s thought Brentford will hold out for upwards of £50m, although INEOS chiefs will look to haggle by using the player’s public desire to be sold as a bargaining chip.

Atletico Madrid emerge as surprise suitors for Alejandro Garnacho

Garnacho did not feature in the final game of 24/25 but did take part in the lap of appreciation with his family. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

One member of the squad who is poised to leave before the window closes is Alejandro Garnacho. He faced an uncertain future anyway following the interest he garnered in January, but now has one foot out the door after his post-UEL final antics.

When speaking to reporters in Bilbao, Garnacho – hailed as a ‘shining light’ for his performance against Manchester City in April – labelled United’s season as ‘sh*t’, bemoaned Amorim’s decision to bench him for the fixture and hinted at a potential move away when finishing his media duties by saying: “I’ll enjoy my summer and then we’ll see.”

Upon the players’ return to Carrington before their last Premier League match of the campaign, Amorim told Garnacho to ‘pray’ he could find another club to sign him in the transfer window, before omitting him from the squad entirely for United’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Now, MailSport claims the forward’s former club, Atletico Madrid, are ‘monitoring’ his situation.

He departed his native Madrid in 2020 when United scouts cherry-picked him to join their academy, with the board forking out a fee of £420,000 to add him to the books. The then-16-year-old left Atletico without making a first-team appearance, meaning he is now a full product of Carrington and, as such, his sale would generate pure profit for the club.

Assuming Garnacho has played his final game as a Red, he’ll leave with 144 senior appearances, 26 goals and 22 assists to his name.