Thread by @sahilgdwn

Alejandro Garnacho gets his long awaited move to Chelsea as Manchester United lose another top young talent for just £40m despite far less proven forwards selling for more. A fallout with Amorim pushed him out and Maresca now looks to unleash him.

Thread 🧵

Just a year ago Garnacho, Mainoo and Hojlund were touted as the future of United and Garnacho alone valued around £100m. Even entertaining a sale was unthinkable, yet horrific mismanagement sees him leave for a cut price, with Chelsea dictating terms of the move.

Across the last two seasons Garnacho featured 50 and 58 times, trusted heavily at such a young age. With Sancho, Antony and Rashford situations he was often run into the ground. Despite fatigue, he stayed fit and deputized both wings when no one else did.

Though his raw G+A numbers aren’t elite, he has been one of United’s most productive forwards in a broken system. His output steadily improved:
- 22/23: 5G 4A
- 23/24: 10G 5A
- 24/25: 11G 10A
He has proven relentless and impactful even in dysfunctional squads.

His versatility is key. From the right he plays as a classic winger stretching width, from the left he cuts inside like an inside forward and creates danger. His pace allows runs behind and makes him a transition weapon. This adaptability adds big squad value.

He is a high-volume shooter and underrated creator with 10 assists last season. He thrives on taking responsibility, dribbles relentlessly and never hides. His 1v1 success rate is poor (29.2%) yet he still forces defenders back and opens space for others.

On progressive carries vs shots, Garnacho ranks among the best. Using Footverse’s player clone tool, his closest profiles are Madueke, Fofana, Mitoma and Diaz. Remarkably, he’s been the cheapest move among them despite his ability and ceiling.

Using my friend @pranav_m28 apps we can dive deeper. On carrying profiles he scores 85/100 ranking 8th behind names like Fofana, Zaragoza and Vinícius. Another viz highlights his strong half-space carrying and tendency to drive forward rather than pass.

But there are weaknesses Maresca must fix. His PL data shows 208 shots yielding 16 goals, a 7.7% conversion rate and -7.18 xG underperformance. He missed 11 of 14 big chances. Shot selection is a major issue and he often ignores better passing options.

Most of his attempts come from low-value areas, with 151 of 208 shots in the 0-0.1 xG range. He’s had only one shot above 0.6xG and missed it. He loves cutting in from the left half-space but angles are too wide and finishing composure remains inconsistent.

At Chelsea his role makes sense. He profiles most similarly to Madueke, who left for Arsenal, offering directness and goal threat. Neto adds width but lacks Garnacho’s scoring edge, while Gittens is a 1v1 dribbler specialist. Garnacho fits as the hybrid wide threat.

With Nkunku gone and João Pedro seen mainly as a striker, there is room for a left winger. Garnacho can cover both flanks and provide end product. Competition with Neto and Gittens could push his development while giving Maresca options in attacking roles.

There are flaws in Garnacho’s game from dribble success to box decision making and finishing, but under Maresca he has the chance to be nurtured not overplayed. At such a bargain fee it is a smart bet on upside and Chelsea can still recoup value later.

Detailed breakdown by @AlexanderBrkr on Garnacho’s full profile with positives and negatives:

https://x.com/AlexanderBrkr/status/1937218306294813048

Strong tactical piece on how he could fit at Chelsea by @htomufc and @umirf1:

https://x.com/htomufc/status/1960963311765188936

Brilliant thread from @fc_mossman on maximizing Garnacho’s strengths:

https://x.com/fc_mossman/status/1926850775793250644

📊 All visualizations in this thread made with my apps:
Footverse 👉 footverse.streamlit.app
Strikr 👉 strikr.streamlit.app