ALEJANDRO GARNACHO will be a world-class striker, just not at Manchester United.
Garnacho, 20, is rightly labeled as one of the club's brightest talents and was considered one of the three untouchable stars after last year's FA Cup final.
But now it appears the Puskas-winning striker will be one of the first victims of Ruben Amorim's rebuild.
What happened in the space of half a season to trigger such a drastic change in transfer policy?
After all, Garnacho is the Red Devils' second top scorer this season with eight goals, just nine behind Amad Diallo and level with captain Bruno Fernandes.
Former manager Erik ten Hag said of him that if he works hard, “it will make him a world-class player because he has the potential.”
Cristiano Ronaldo, Garnacho's idol, played 73 games for Manchester United before he turned 20, scoring 10 goals.
In Garnacho's first 73 games he had 12, suggesting he has shown more promise in these early years than even the great CR7.
However, the winger was one of the main stars who suffered a dip in form after Amorim's appointment.
Since the arrival of the former Sporting Lisbon boss, Garnacho has scored just two goals and his inconsistency is clearly on display in a role he simply doesn't seem to have a feel for.
This isn't to say he can't get to grips with his new position as one of two number 10s supporting the striker Amorim likes to deploy, but off-the-field problems have also surrounded Garnacho in Amorim's early days.
Both Garnacho and Marcus Rashford were left out of the matchday squad for the Manchester derby, with the pair involved in alleged team leaks.
Amorim's choice to publicly address the leaks seemed to help put an end to that particular story for now, but Garnacho continues to be under scrutiny for major concerns about his attitude and professionalism.
It was reported that a touchline incident in which Garnacho turned his back on Amorim played a role in the decision to ax the youngster.
With issues like this in an environment as toxic as Man Utd, it feels like a ticking time bomb where huge consequences could be on the horizon.
If that happens, Manchester United risks seeing Garnacho's value plummet from what it is today – like many other young stars who raised big expectations but failed to deliver.
Jadon Sancho, Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Memphis Depay and Adnan Januzaj are just some of the names who played for Man Utd early on with high expectations before failing to deliver on the promises.
At the moment, Garnacho is undoubtedly the club's most valuable and – in this context, most important – salable asset, with strong interest from Napoli and Chelsea.
Only not Chelsea
Of the two, Manchester United's transfer chiefs must do everything they can to ensure no sale to a direct rival in Chelsea takes place.
Napoli would be the ideal destination from a damage limitation perspective, especially if they can get the full £70 million value from the deal.
You only have to look at Scott McTominay to see that Garnacho was able to unleash his full potential there, with the Scot flourishing in Italy with six goals in 23 games in all competitions.
That £25 million sale, counted as pure profit as part of the PSR rules encouraging the sale of youth stars, was a major contributor to Man Utd avoiding a points penalty and being in a position to earn a further £ 200 million to spend on transfers.
Even before Amorim was appointed, it was recognized that there was a huge rebuilding task needed for this squad.
But with a completely different tactical style, the team will need another open-heart operation, with more than £200 million needed to correct course – even assuming every transfer is a bull's-eye.
And this time the club can't afford to screw it up.
Regardless of history, Man Utd are no longer in a position to attract the top names and need to reflect and understand that football's new food chain sees the Red Devils as a thing of the past.
In an ideal world, Garnacho would be one of the key parts of this new dawn, and he is one of the last names to be sold from this team of would-be stars.
Old Trafford icon Paul Scholes named the winger one of just three players Manchester United must keep.
But one simple business rule comes from supply and demand, and many of the underperforming and overpaid players that should have been sold before Garnacho simply aren't attracting interest.
Names like Casemiro and Christian Eriksen come to mind in that sense, while those who are moved, like Antony, only leave on loan and therefore only offer a pay cut.
Even former talisman Rashford is unable to generate a significant fee after declaring his desire to leave, with any transfer looking like a loan for him this month.
Selling a diamond in the rough like Garnacho will only further agitate the already battered and bruised fan base.
They have endured disgraceful on-pitch performances, outrageous ticket price increases and a general state of stagnation and decline in support of the club since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, with Garnacho – like McTominay – counting as a pure win in the books, he may have to be the first domino to fall and serve as the catalyst for Amorim's United's return to the top flight in England.
And unfortunately, it would have to be a decision where any player is for sale if a deal is good enough and both parties can leave without any hard feelings.
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