Alejandro Garnacho has no regrets about how his departure from Manchester United unfolded after securing a £40million transfer to Chelsea during the summer window. The 21-year-old winger left Old Trafford in August following a very public dispute with United manager Ruben Amorim, coupled with his ambition to secure more consistent playing time. When asked on Monday evening, before Chelsea’s Champions League encounter with Atalanta, whether he had any remorse over the circumstances of his exit from United, he responded bluntly: “No.”
Bayern Munich had made approaches for Garnacho whilst Chelsea were also pursuing the Argentine’s signature, but the forward was determined to stay in the Premier League and described his switch to Stamford Bridge as an “easy decision”. “I wanted to stay in the Premier League because I think it’s the best league in the world,” Garnacho explained. “I spoke with the manager [Enzo Maresca] before I came here and he explained to me the project, he convinced me and I’m really happy to be here.
“Sometimes in life, you have to change things to take a step forward or to improve as a player. I think it was the right moment and the right club. So it was an easy decision.”
Since bringing Garnacho on board, Enzo Maresca has acknowledged that the winger has considerable room for development, both with and without possession. Whilst Maresca is known to be an exacting coach, Garnacho is embracing the chance to work under the Chelsea manager and has recognised the need to enhance his defensive contributions.
“Today, in modern football, defending is an important part of the game because every team you face is strong and you have to defend with everyone,” Garnacho explained.
“I know I have to defend if I want to play, he [Maresca] told me this. So I try to do the work he asks and with the ball, he told me to go with it and if I lose it recover. So I have to help the team defensively but that is a part of football.”
Chelsea face Atalanta in their sixth Champions League fixture of the campaign, with the Blues currently sitting in seventh place and aiming to secure a crucial victory that would boost their chances of automatic qualification through a top-eight finish.