The Rise and fall of The wonderkid: Alejandro garnacho | OneFootball

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Alejandro Garnacho is set to begin the next season on loan at Aston Villa after a rather disappointing year at Chelsea, but how and when did the once Puskás winner and Kopa Trophy nominee become a player fans dread seeing?

When did Alejandro Garnacho become dubbed a ‘flop’? What happened to the next Manchester United star? And what comes next for the twenty-two-year-old Argentine?

LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 16: Alejandro Garnacho of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Manchester United FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

YOUTH AND BREAKOUT

After first starting in the Getafe youth academy, his talent quickly landed him a spot in the Atlético Madrid youth setup before Manchester United came in 2020 with an offer of £420,000.

He wasted no time impressing for the Red Devils’ youth, bagging a crazy solo goal against Everton in the FA Youth Cup and even signing his first pro contract in 2021 before going on to make his debut against Chelsea in April.

By the start of the next season, the head coach Erik ten Hag allowed him to impress, and impress he did. Now bearing the number 49, Garnacho would get his first start, coming in the UEFA Europa League, and then go on to get his first professional goals and assists.

By the 2023/24 season, he was already a first-team regular and subsequently changed to number 17. This season would go on to arguably be his best so far; he would score his Puskás-winning bicycle kick against Everton, score his first Champions League goal, become a Kopa Trophy nominee, and even win the FA Cup against Manchester City.

Attitude problems?

He would go on to make his 100th appearance for Manchester United in the subsequent season, but this season would also spell the end for Garnacho at Manchester United.

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After Erik ten Hag’s sacking, assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy took over on an interim basis. Before his match against PAOK in the UEFA Europa League, a video circulated of a fan verbally abusing him while signing autographs. Three days later, during a match against Leicester City, Garnacho would go on to score but not celebrate the goal because, according to United captain Bruno Fernandes, he felt he had lost faith from the supporters.

After an abysmal season that saw the Red Devils finish 15th in the Premier League and a particularly jarring Europa League Final loss, Garnacho came out and publicly complained about being left out of the Final by Head Coach Ruben Amorim.

This would spark a major divide between fans, with some backing him and others the head coach. Fans openly called out his attitude, calling him ‘prideful’ or ‘arrogant.’ Garnacho would then be listed in Manchester United’s bomb squad and be swooped up by London giants Chelsea for a sum of £40,000,000 on a seven-year deal.

FAILED REDEMPTION

Garnacho’s transfer to Chelsea came with lots of controversy; most fans believe he only made a move there to play Champions League football, while most Chelsea fans simply believed the young winger didn’t have the required quality and would even disrupt the harmonious dressing room atmosphere, and with many people watching, this was his chance to prove his haters wrong.

After making his debut for Chelsea during a 2-2 draw against Brentford, he would go on to score his first and only league goal for Chelsea against Sunderland in their 2-1 loss. Come the summer of 2026, after an abysmal season, Chelsea seems ready to make some drastic changes, and that includes in the greatly underperforming left wing.

NEW CHANCE

Now following in the steps of past Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho, Garnacho sees himself on loan at Aston Villa, almost supporting the claims that he only intends to play Champions League football.

Alejandro Garnacho’s time at Chelsea was disappointing to say the least, but we must remember he is still young and has a lot of pressure on him. He was required to immediately deliver, and whenever he failed to do so, he was usually met with serious online backlash. He, however, never showed any form of poor attitude and never sprouted any bad seeds within the dressing room.

With Unai Emery personally wanting him, Alejandro Garnacho has managed to find himself in a place where he could really shine and prove all his doubters wrong. If he closes off all the excess noise and focuses, I believe he could be back to his very best.