Manchester United winger, Alejandro Garnacho has been told that he “should be taking advice” from Harry Maguire to save his Old Trafford career.
Garnacho has found himself at a career crossroads as doubts swirl over his future at Old Trafford. Under new manager Ruben Amorim, Manchester United have seen significant shifts in their squad dynamics. Notably, Marcus Rashford is reportedly on the transfer list, signalling the club’s willingness to part ways with academy stars to raise funds. Garnacho, another highly-rated prospect, has also been tipped for a potential exit as his minutes continue to dwindle after Amorim has taken charge.
Despite showing immense promise last season, Garnacho has struggled to replicate his form this term. In 18 Premier League appearances, he has managed just one goal and one assist—a stark contrast to his impressive performances in the previous campaign. While the team secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the derby, Garnacho was notably absent, further emphasizing his reduced role under Amorim.
Former Manchester United defender Jaap Stam weighed in on Garnacho’s situation, offering words of wisdom for the young player. According to Stam, Garnacho must embrace the challenges and seek help from senior figures in the dressing room like Maguire who also had to undergo similar rough patches at Old Trafford.
“In the career of every player there will be difficult periods, young players cannot expect to come into a team and then spend 15 years in the first team with complete consistency, it’s too hard,” he said in an interview with Lens Sport.
“For every young player, you have tough moments you need to come through and that toughens you up as a player, next time it happens you will know what to expect and it makes you stronger as a player and that can be the case with Alejandro Garnacho.”
He added: “It’s tough for young players but they need to understand that these things can happen and you need to come out fighting. Once you’re through that then you will have learned from it. It’s good for a young player to learn how difficult things can be in the Premier League and it’s a wake-up call. If he doesn’t see it as a wake-up call then that’s the wrong attitude, one big example is Harry Maguire and that’s who he should be taking advice from. Maguire has had tough patches and been left out of the team but always comes back and he deserves huge respect for that. Garnacho can learn a lot from him.”
With Amorim’s tactical reshuffling and the growing need for results, Garnacho’s role at Manchester United hangs in the balance. His recent appearance in United’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle saw him play just 25 minutes as a substitute, failing to make a meaningful impact. With a crucial fixture against Liverpool looming, it remains uncertain whether Garnacho will earn a starting spot at Anfield
