Alejandro Garnacho could approach a potential move to Napoli with caution given who their manager is.
The 20-year-old Manchester United winger has made just one start since being brutally dropped from the squad by boss Ruben Amorim ahead of the Manchester derby in December. As a result, talk of a move away in January has intensified, especially with Napoli eyeing him as a potential successor to PSG-bound Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
According to reports, Garnacho has agreed personal terms with the Serie A club. United are open to letting the Argentine leave but are reportedly waiting for a fee in excess of £60 million, a figure Napoli are currently unwilling to pay.
But as talk of a move to Naples continues, Garnacho may want to heed the many troubling stories of playing under the club's fiery manager Antonio Conte before making his final decision. The Italian, who usually wears his heart on his sleeve on the sidelines, is no stranger to conflict, whether it is with a single player or his entire squad.
At Tottenham he clashed with several first-team stars and infamously criticized the squad's mental strength. Ahead of his departure in March 2023, Conte delivered scathing criticism at a press conference after Spurs' 3-3 draw with Southampton, in which his side conceded two late goals.
He labeled his players as 'selfish' and condemned them for having a loser's mentality. “They're used to it here,” he burst out. “They don't play for anything important. They don't want to play under pressure. They don't want to play under stress. This way it's easy. The story of Tottenham is this.”
“So far I'm trying to hide the situation, but there are still ten games to go and some people think we can fight. Fight for what? With this spirit, this attitude, this dedication? What? For the seventh, eighth, tenth place?”
The Spurs side were left reeling after Conte's tirade, despite the already 'toxic' atmosphere behind the scenes. It was claimed that some players wanted him to go after the tirade, and unsurprisingly he was sacked shortly afterwards.
Conte's time at Chelsea, while successful with Premier League and FA Cup glory, was also marred by strained relations. His blunt management style came to the fore when he informed Diego Costa via text message that he did not meet the requirements, which shocked not only Costa but the entire team, especially after the striker's crucial role in securing the league title weeks earlier .
Costa had previously pushed for a move to China and expressed a desire to return to Atletico Madrid, but was nevertheless surprised by Conte's tough approach. As did former Chelsea star Willian, who recounted the incident to ESPN Brazil: “I was in Australia with Brazil and Diego sent me a text message,” he said.
“He said: 'I'm leaving, Conte said he doesn't need me anymore'. I said: 'What do you mean?' And he said, 'He texted me saying he doesn't need me on the team anymore and he shouldn't let me go back.'
“You don't lose a player like Diego Costa. It was a difficult situation… he also had a problem with David Luiz,” added Willian, who admitted he would have left the club if Conte had not been succeeded by Maurizio Sarri. in the summer of 2018.
The Brazilian winger did not hide his feelings towards Conte, especially after Chelsea's 2018 FA Cup final triumph against United, where he famously covered his manager in emojis on Instagram. “Conte was a coach who was very difficult for me to work with,” Willian explained. “The philosophy, its logic, I found it very complicated,” adding: “Some games I played well and was taken away. I couldn't understand it.”
Conte's intense training sessions are also notorious, not only for their physical demands, but also for their heavy tactical drills. Even Eden Hazard, who shone under Conte, recently confessed his distaste for the Italian's regime on former Blues teammate John Obi Mikel's Obi One Podcast.
“Training all week. I went out on Saturday, I have to enjoy a bit because I know I will be back on the training pitch the day after,” Hazard said. “I have to do something, it's my only ninety minutes that I can enjoy. Remember him, stops, tactics: 'No, we have to do that'. Saturday [game day] was the best day for me.”
It suggests Garnacho may want to tread carefully when it comes to joining Conte, despite former United midfielder Scott McTominay doing well under the coach since his £25million move to Napoli. United are open to letting him leave, not least to allay their concerns over the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) (as a homegrown talent, Garnacho could be let go for 'pure profit').
However, unless they lower their asking price, an exit seems unlikely. Amorim recently confirmed that Garnacho was part of his plans for the future, but stressed the need for improvement. “That's clear,” he said when asked if Garnacho had a bright future at Old Trafford.
“He has talent. He has to learn to play in a different position. He has to play better inside. He improves a lot in the recovery position when he doesn't have the ball. But when he does that, sometimes he is out of place.” 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. He is improving in training. He started the last game. Let's see tomorrow. I think he has changed the way he sees himself.”
The Red Devils are planning a £40m move for Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo in case Garnacho leaves. That said, with both Marcus Rashford – who openly expressed his desire to leave the club last month – and Antony also eyeing a January departure, Garnacho could be forced to shelve his plans, at least until the summer.
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