Man United proven right not to sign £58m Chelsea star in summer swap with Alejandro Garnacho - Opinion
Manchester United sold Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea in the summer after Ruben Amorim forced him out.
Man United’s season has taken a positive turn under Ruben Amorim, as they went five games unbeaten for the first time under the manager. They go into their next game against Everton knowing that a win would take them up to third in the Premier League table.
It seems that Amorim’s long-term plan is beginning to take shape, and part of that plan was to sell some of his squad over the summer, including some real top talents. The likes of Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho were all forced out of Old Trafford by Amorim.
The latter joined Chelsea for a fee of £40m, with a 10% sell-on clause. He has looked good in Blue so far, making 10 appearances under Maresca, scoring two goals, and providing two assists.
Man United were right to reject Lavia swap
The Garnacho to Chelsea move was a long-term negotiation, which it has now been revealed involved a potential swap deal. Recent reports have said that Man United rejected the chance to involve midfielder Romeo Lavia in a swap for Garnacho, as they were concerned about his fitness record.
Lavia has made seven appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season, starting just one game in the Premier League. It was seemingly the right decision by United, as if Chelsea didn’t want to play Lavia much, then why would United want to? Furthermore, if the Blue were looking to offload him, again, there must be a reason.
The discussion around Lavia has been all about him being a high-potential defensive midfielder who could potentially become one of the best in the league. However, we just aren’t seeing it. Nobody is talking about Lavia in the same light as someone like Elliot Anderson, who United have been linked with.
If United were to bring him in, a loan deal would be a better idea to see if it would work out for him at Old Trafford before making a permanent move. It certainly looks as though they’ve done the right thing by rejecting the swap with Garnacho, and just taking the money. The player has also dealt with constant injury problems since a £58m move from Southampton to Chelsea.
It is another key reason why United were right to not sign him in the summer as those problems have not waned.
Man United could sign Lavia alternative on loan in January
The only issue is that United needs a holding midfielder, and Lavia would have added depth in that position. Amorim will want to add someone in January who can fill that hole potentially. Anderson would likely be more of a summer signing as he’s been priced at over £100m, so they could look at a potential loan.
Conor Gallagher at Atletico Madrid has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, as the Red Devils wanted to sign him in the summer, but only on a loan move. However, Atletico reportedly want a permanent move for Gallagher if they are to let him leave in January.
It hasn’t been confirmed whether their stance has changed, but if United can get Gallagher on loan in January, and potentially Anderson in the summer, it was certainly a good decision to pass on Lavia.