Alejandro Garnacho is now officially a Chelsea player and the Argentine winger is set to begin a new chapter at Stamford Bridge. After a £40 million transfer from Manchester United the 21 year old has been given the No. 49 shirt, which he used to wear during his early career at United. Fans can now buy the no. 49 Garnacho shirt, which is just like the number of his emergence as an exciting young talent.
Despite the big-money signing, Garnacho jersey number at Chelsea has not changed, but it is officially still 49.
Just days after completing his transfer, Alejandro Garnacho Chelsea has now come as part of the 23 man squad for the Champions League. Manager Enzo Maresca gave Garnacho a spot amongst veterans, a good sign given that it was clear he knew Chelsea viewed a prominent role for the player in their European plans.
Manchester United accepted a £40m bid, which includes a 10% sell-on clause for Garnacho, making it the most lucrative sale for the club in five years and fourth overall.
After once being a beloved academy product for United, tensions developed with the player and Rubne Amorim, which led to the player being out of the first team picture entirely, as well as excluded from preseason. This background gave Chelsea the opportunity to acquire this high-upside player who is still hungry to succeed.
Chelsea fans will hope that Garnacho’s raw talent and ambition will flourish under their club’s wing. Paul Scholes, a former United hero, and one of Chelsea’s biggest critics, nonetheless offered encouragement for Garnacho, “I think he will be good for you … I don’t think he will be disruptive.”
This transfer capped a flashy summer for Chelsea, during which they spent approximately £328 million on signings such as Garnacho, Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens, and others, offsetting a record-breaking outgoing of slightly more than £332 million.