Those at Old Trafford on the night of the FA Youth Cup final three years ago all spoke of being impressed by Alejandro Garnacho's performance.
When he was thinner, just a boy, he won a penalty, which he coolly scored and ran to the corner to imitate Cristiano Ronaldo's 'siu' celebration. Later he ran free down the left, turning in and out before taking five Nottingham Forest players out of the game to score and secure Youth Cup glory for United, their first title for eleven years.
It was a performance that underlined to fans and coaches alike that this was a player with superstar potential. United had, most thought, hit the jackpot.
And that's one of the memories that some people look back on now; a memory tinged with sadness as talk of his departure from Manchester United intensifies during this period.
Napoli would like to sign him. Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has made that clear to the Italian side's hierarchy after losing left winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for £59 million. Conte has already spoken directly to Garnacho to tell him his vision for unlocking his superstar potential.
Chelsea are also keen and United's staff have noticed that Garnacho's agents Carlos Cambeiro and Quique De Lucas curiously posted on social media that they were at Stamford Bridge for the Blues' win over Wolves on Monday evening. Both Napoli and Chelsea are expected to make new offers with a few weeks to go.
While there is a desire within Carrington to move on from Marcus Rashford, who has since backpedaled on his public claim that he wants a new challenge elsewhere, there is a reluctance to do so from Garnacho, who United took over as successor to Atletico Madrid . teenager for just £420,000.
Last summer he was seen as one of United's 'untouchables', alongside Rasmus Hojlund and fellow FA Cup final scorer Kobbie Mainoo. But there is also a quiet resignation that United need to generate cash to address concerns around Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) and sign players. A move for Garnacho is seen as a way to generate cash for a striker this month. Mainoo is also no longer off-limits.
Also consider that Garnacho doesn't naturally fit into the 3-4-2-1 system that head coach Ruben Amorim has vowed never to abandon, and it's a situation that makes Garnacho a prime suspect moving forward.
On the financial side, Garnacho's fee (he would fetch more than £60 million) represents 'pure profit' as a homegrown player. A huge victory that would give Amorim a lot of breathing space to attract players who better suit his system.
“He has talent,” Amorim said earlier this month. 'He has to learn to play in a different position. He needs to play better indoors.
“He improves a lot in the recovery position when he doesn't have the ball. But when he does, sometimes he's not in the right spot to make transitions like he has in the past.
'I prefer to defend and then build with the whole team to reach the final third. He finds the best way to play in this system. During training he is getting better and better. I think he's changed the way he sees himself.”
Those who know Garnacho well speak of a player who is deeply misunderstood; one does not possess the ego that many online claim to have.
Earlier this season he was left out of the United squad for the Manchester derby for a display of disagreement towards Amorim in Plzen, after he appeared to turn his back on Amorim and walk away while the United boss was giving him instructions on the touchline. This was put down to a misunderstanding, underlined by the fact that Garnacho has been reinserted into the group where Rashford has not.
He can be extremely quiet off the pitch and he keeps his inner circle small. One source even suggested that while he idolizes Cristiano Ronaldo, with whom he played for a spell at United, Garnacho is different from him in that the Argentinian can often border on shyness in front of others, something Ronaldo is never in danger of.
Even amid fierce criticism over his future and the disappointing defeat to Brighton on Sunday, Garnacho, along with Amad Diallo, was determined to attend a primary school event in Moss Side on Monday, where he played games on the playground before answering a question- and answer session.
Criticism from fans also stings Garnacho more than others. Earlier this season, before facing PAOK in the Europa League, he was attacked outside Old Trafford and confronted by a supporter who criticized his performance.
Days later he scored against Leicester and chose not to celebrate, with Bruno Fernandes explaining how Garnacho felt he had 'lost the trust' of some fans.
Soon after, he was scapegoated online over accusations that he was the source of team news leaks from the locker room. United sources are adamant that Garnacho never leaked line-ups and felt he was unfairly attacked shortly after being confronted by the fan on the ground.
It is one of a number of reasons, including an FA investigation in 2023 over an alleged racist post praising teammate Andre Onana with two gorilla emojis, which was later deleted, as to why he deleted his X account this season.
It is often forgotten that Garnacho is only twenty. At that young age, he is United's third highest contributor in goals and assists this season, is a full Argentina international with eight caps, has won a Puskas Award and has made 37 consecutive appearances for the club. last season, and has won the Copa America, League Cup and FA Cup.
Also keep in mind that he ranks first for most goal involvement among players under 21 since the start of the 2022-2023 season in Europe's top five leagues. He has 37 and is ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Manchester City's Savinho, who are tied for second place with 35.
Garnacho is also one of the first through the Carrington gate every day, despite Amorim pushing back the required arrival time for players by an hour, compared to his predecessor Erik ten Hag. Garnacho made the decision to stick to the same timing as Ten Hag, that's how seriously he takes his preparatory work.
And so the question becomes: how can United consider selling a player as resilient as Garnacho, as talented as Garnacho and as determined as Garnacho? Not least if he himself does not insist on leaving the football club.
The answer lies in his value and the fact that, as determined as he has been to adapt to Amorim's demands in the short time they have worked together, his new boss does not believe he has the defensive discipline to be converted into a full-back – as happened with Amad Diallo – and that he is not a natural number 10. As such, there is no place for him.
Garnacho started against Southampton last week as one of two number 10s and often looked to Amorim on the touchline for reassurance. Even then he drifted wide left before Amorim barked at him to come back inside.
Under Amorim, Garnacho made fourteen appearances, of which he started just six times. He has scored one goal and had one assist, and his influence on matches is diminishing as he cannot play to his strengths as an orthodox left winger.
He is a player who fades into the background, where the Old Trafford pitch, and that left wing, was once his focal point.
His future may be taken out of his hands and decided in boardrooms in Manchester, London or Naples, but before the trigger is pulled, United would do well to take Ten Hag's advice to heart.
'He is a player who needs a challenge, he likes a challenge, he is very brave, he has a lot of self-confidence. It is our job to take him to a high level,” Ten Hag said last year. 'He has great potential and now we have to unleash the potential.'
Now United must decide whether pure profit or player potential is higher on their priority list.
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