Chelsea made a number of important signings in the recently concluded summer transfer window, including Liam Delap, Joao Pedro, Jorrel Hato, Jamie Gittens, among others. However, the club's late move of bringing in Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United for a transfer fee in the region of £40 million just before the deadline has divided the opinion of fans.
There is little doubt about the Argentine international's talent. But many are concerned about whether he can truly fit in at Chelsea, especially given his recent dip in form and lack of regular minutes under Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
There are question marks over his attitude as well. Especially considering how the Manchester United exit was handled.
Meanwhile, Florent Malouda has shared his opinion on Garnacho’s future. The Frenchman clearly rates him quite highly. He said to Si Phillips Talks Chelsea Substack (via The Chelsea Chronicle):
"Alejandro Garnacho has talent and could follow the Cole Palmer trajectory, he even has a similar price tag. It’s about delivering, unlike Jadon Sancho who wasn’t able to show his talent and make a difference. What you expect from a player like Garnacho is how he’s able to be consistent in performance and have an impact.
“For me, it also comes with personal ambition. It’s a done deal, but it shouldn’t be seen as an escape from Manchester United. His ambition should be to become a world-class player at a top football club like Chelsea.
"That’s the kind of mindset we expect from him, and of course, being an impact on the offensive part of Chelsea’s game."
Florent Malouda believes Alejandro Garnacho can follow Cole Palmer’s path to success at Chelsea
Malouda’s words will provide Blues fans with a bit of assurance. But as stated above as well, Garnacho’s success will depend on the player himself and how committed he is.
The 21-year-old had appeared in a total of 144 matches for Man United in all competitions before moving, having scored 26 goals along with providing 22 assists. The youngster is highly rated and known for his ability to decide a game with a moment of individual quality.
Interestingly, Garnacho attracted interest from a number of other top clubs but showed his commitment to moving to Stamford Bridge till the very end of the transfer window. That should make him more popular amongst the fans, especially if he can get off to a good start.
The player is yet to debut in the Royal Blues jersey and will have to compete against Jamie Gittens and, to some extent, Pedro Neto as well for the left flank spot. The Argentine might be handed a debut against Brentford, most likely off the bench. It remains to be seen how he performs in case he is called upon.