Every now and again, a prodigy of true brilliance dawns within the Premier League, Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho is the latest, and some of Europe’s most eminent outfits are interested.
What’s the word?
Having scored two goals and served two assists in just eight professional appearances, including a daring, darted finish to clinch a stoppage-time winner at Fulham last week, Garnacho has well and truly announced himself.
For such a promising starlet, major interest was only ever going to go in tandem with his emergence, with 90min reporting that the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain want to swipe the teenager away from Carrington, despite United’s desire to pen him to a long-term contract.
On home soil, Arsenal and Chelsea want to lure the 18-year-old to London, with the former in particular offering a platform bred for success, and one that the ace should consider.
The next Henry
A source revealed to 90min that the Red Devils are “calm” over the future of the player, and that he will pen a revised deal in a matter of time.
Regardless, the Argentine will undoubtedly have taken note of the tantalising intrigue in his signature, with seemingly every top club on the continent vying to lure him to their territory.
Should Arsenal decide to follow up initial glances with concrete interest, Garnacho would have a challenging decision on his hands, with Arsenal’s academy one of the best in the world and a host of graduates thriving for the first team.
He could emulate the likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson in breaking into the first team and making an impact, and he could learn from a diverse blend of talent and an infrastructure that sets young, exciting athletes in perfect stead to succeed.
The height of his ceiling soars above mountains, with all the raw ingredients to become a destructive force in football for years to come.
Garnacho has proclaimed Ronaldo as his “idol”, and as a compatriot of Lionel Messi he has influences from the very top.
But at Arsenal, he could take a page from esteemed forward Thierry Henry’s book, and don the shirt with electric shades of the French phenom, who scored 228 goals and provided 103 assists in 376 games.
Like Henry, Garnacho revs the gear to the max, combining bursts of blistering pace with frightening precision, and meeting defenders in a direct, jousting style of play.
Having scored the winner against Real Sociedad, provided two assists in the Carabao Cup against Aston Villa, and scored the dramatic Premier League winner at the weekend, the “special” prospect is quickly turning prodigy.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta should throw everything at enticing the player toward the Emirates, with his pedigree ballooning by the week; he might not be Henry, but he can certainly emulate him with resounding success.
