Alejandro Garnacho has ‘horrible’ experience as Chelsea concern caused | Football | Sport

Gary Neville has expressed concerns about former Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho after his performance in Chelsea’s win over West Ham on Saturday. The 21-year-old Argentine, who moved to Stamford Bridge this summer in a £40million deal that includes a 10% sell-on clause, endured a tough evening at Stamford Bridge.

Garnacho’s transfer fee makes him the fourth most expensive departure in United’s history, following Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria. So far, he has made 26 appearances for Chelsea and scored six goals.

However, the Argentine international had a tough time against West Ham, with some blaming him for Chelsea being 2-0 down at half-time. Neville, the former United captain turned pundit, discussed Garnacho’s performance on his podcast, attributing it as a key factor in Chelsea’s surprising home loss to their relegation-threatened opponents before they managed a 3-2 comeback win.

He said: “In the first half, I have to say that West Ham were absolutely fantastic. They dominated the game, even though they didn’t dominate possession; they dominated the game.

“They had the best chances, they were more physical, and that left side of Chelsea was obliterated. Alejandro Garnacho is a player that divides opinion, I think, at times.

“A lot of people are questioning, is he top-class or where is he? Where is he in the pecking order? What was difficult to watch last night was a young player like that, who’s gone to Chelsea and he looked shot to pieces in terms of his confidence on that left-hand side.

“I’m not just talking about when [Aaron] Wan-Bissaka kept going off him running forward, but actually when he got the ball, his first touch was back and then he just kept going back and giving it away.

“It was an awkward, very horrible experience for both Hato and Garnacho on that left side, and Badiashiele. But once he changed it, the complete and utter transformation of the game occurred.”

United snapped up Garnacho without a fee from Atletico Madrid back in September 2020, and after progressing through the youth ranks and starring in an FA Youth Cup victory, the teenager became an integral part of the senior setup.

The Argentine made his first-team bow under Ralf Rangnick’s stewardship in April 2022 during a match against Chelsea at Old Trafford. His development continued under Erik ten Hag throughout the 2022/2023 season, where he notched six goals and provided six assists across 37 outings in all competitions.

Yet, he struggled to find his rhythm under Ruben Amorim’s management, with questions emerging about his commitment before his eventual summer switch to Stamford Bridge.