Alejandro Garnacho looks set to leave Manchester United, following a deal being agreed in principle with Napoli for his exit.
The Puskas Award-winning winger is one of the Red Devils' biggest assets and after joining for a nominal fee from Atletico Madrid's academy, represents a high-value option to sell this January, in order to raise funds for Ruben Amorim's rebuild.
Manchester United are looking to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) with the likes of Garnacho and Marcus Rashford available for sale this month, as two stars who have come through the ranks at the club.
Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho has been targeted by Napoli manager Antonio Conte, as a direct replacement for Kvicha Kvaratskhelia
Garnacho rose to prominence under former manager Erik ten Hag, arriving into the team as an option on either wing and an alternative to Antony – who remains United's second-most expensive signing ever.
Game time, however, has been harder to come by under Ruben Amorim for the Argentine, with the likes of Amad Diallo and Mason Mount favoured options for the attacking midfield berths behind the lone striker, in the new manager's 3-4-3 formation.
Now, a report from Italian outlet Calciomercato says that Napoli have agreed terms with Garnacho to join the club as a replacement for Kvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Despite the Partenopei soaring in Serie A right now, the Georgian – ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left-wingers in the world right now – looks destined to join Paris Saint-Germain, with Antonio Conte enamoured with Garnacho.
United are holding out for €70 million, though Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has apparently made it clear that he won't go higher than €50m for the 20-year-old. Transfers.com claims that Tottenham Hotspur are in the race for the starlet, too.
FourFourTwo understands that this is a move that will drag on until the end of the transfer window. Transfer expert Ben Jacobs explained to FourFourTwo on January 13 that Marcus Rashford's own value as an “asset” has contributed to his absence from the Manchester United team.
Transfer expert Ben Jacobs: Rashford's freeze-out is due to his sellability
With Garnacho still available for selection by Amorim, United are clearly prepared to keep the attacker and spurn advances from either Napoli or Tottenham, should they need to.
“Marcus Rashford is obviously a different story,” Jacobs explained. “He's been frozen out for now: some of that is down to Ruben Amorim, but some of it is also down to the fact that a departure is realistic, and when you get that possibility of an asset – and we have to call Rashford that, because he's at peak age and he's got plenty of time left on his contract – Manchester United's hierarchy are well aware that a Rashford exit, temporary, or in the long run, permanent, is still very valuable to the football club on their books.
“I think the Rashford freeze-out is a mixture of Ruben Amorim’s decision coupled with the fact that the hierarchy at Manchester United want to make sure that if somebody wants him, there's no possibility that he plays a few minutes and picks up an injury. So there is that sort of ‘asset protection’ aspect to this as well.
Garnacho is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. United take on Southampton tonight when Premier League action returns tonight.
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