Man Utd 'braced for two Alejandro Garnacho bids' as INEOS set curious price tag

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag moving Alejandro Garnacho in and out of his starting line-up has reportedly alerted two top European clubs.

The 20-year-old has only started three of United’s six Premier League games so far this campaign, with his other three appearances coming as a substitute. Garnacho was also benched for the Europa League clash with Twente at Old Trafford last week.

According to The Sun, Spanish heavyweights Barcelona and Italian giants Juventus are both tracking the winger’s situation in case Ten Hag’s willingness to use other options creates a divide between the pair.

The same report states that United would listen to offers in the region of £50million – a curiously low figure given Garnacho’s popularity with fans, and the much higher sums paid for the likes of Antony, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund.

Garnacho is already up to four goals this season after reaching double figures last campaign. Two of them, as well as two assists, came in the Carabao Cup thrashing of Barnsley last month.

But Ten Hag has used Marcus Rashford and Amad Diallo with more regularity than Garnacho this term. It remains to be seen whether the Argentina international is able to fight his way up the pecking order over the coming weeks, or whether reported interest from Barca and Juve – who could lodge bids in January – turns his head.

Madrid-born Garnacho was snapped up by United in 2020 and it didn’t take long for the wide man to worm his way into the senior squad. Since becoming a first-team regular, the youngster has racked up 19 goals in 95 games.

But Ten Hag was eager for supporters to manage their expectations when asked, earlier this season, whether Garnacho is already world class. “You have gone too quickly,” said the Dutchman. “World class is something where he has to go a long way.

“He has a high potential, 100 per cent. Last season he contributed and he can be a starting XI player. It starts with hard work. That has brought him to where he is now and that will bring him to being a world class player because I agree, he has the potential.”

Ten Hag may not even be in charge of the Red Devils when the opportunity next arises for Barcelona and Juventus to test the waters for Garnacho. The manager is under pressure to find results in upcoming games against FC Porto and Aston Villa, and a failure to do so could result in his dismissal.