Premier League struggler seemingly acknowledges he forced Man United exit before developing ‘his ego’

Alejandro Garnacho is still reminiscing about his Manchester United days over a year on from his Chelsea move.

The Carrington graduate, who joined United’s academy from Atletico Madrid in 2020, reposted a TikTok comparing his struggles in an Aston Villa shirt with his highlights as a Red, captioned, “Garnacho before his ego.”

It’s not the first time that Garnacho hinted that he is regretful over how his Old Trafford exit panned out.

United provided a clear path for the attacker from the youth ranks into the first team, to the point that he was a nailed-on starter in 2023/2024 and 2024/2025.

Yet, it wasn’t enough for him to feel satisfied, and he demanded that he be allowed to join Chelsea in the summer of 2025.

“Chelsea or I stay here and don’t play football for 6-12 months,” Garnacho reportedly told the United board when they were mulling over his sale last year.

To say his career has taken a downward trajectory since then is an understatement.

Throughout his maiden campaign with the Blues, the Argentine international made 43 appearances, 22 of which were as a starter. He returned eight goals and four assists across all competitions.

Chelsea didn’t see enough to warrant keeping hold of him this season, as he was shipped out on loan to Villa in July.

Garnacho has not made a single start under Unai Emery in 2026/2027, with his six appearances all coming off the bench. He has also accumulated just 92 minutes on the pitch in total.

It remains to be seen how the 22-year-old will be able to revive his currently stagnant career, especially given he was once considered one of the hottest prospects in Europe.