Chelsea have agreed to a £40 million deal to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho by Monday’s summer transfer deadline. The Blues are finally set to seal one of Enzo Maresca’s top targets after weeks of intense negotiations with their Premier League rivals.
Garnacho will sign a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge after rejecting strong interest from Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, Naples and Saudi professional league clubs. He is scheduled to receive Chelsea medical care on Friday and could be announced in a match against Fulham in Saturday’s Premier League home match.
United treasured Garnacho for £50 million, but Chelsea initially wanted to pay £30 million in exile from Reuben Amorim’s team.
The club then compromised on a fixed fee of £40 million.
Garnacho will be Maresca’s ninth summer signing, following fellow wingers Jamie Gitens and Estevao through the arrival suite.
The 21-year-old appeared in the 93 Premier League after graduating from the club’s academy, scoring 16 goals and registering 10 assists.
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He won the 2024 FIFA Puskas Award for an epic overhead kick against Everton in November 2023, lifting the Carabao Cup and FA Cup under Erik Ten Hag.
Garnacho to Chelseo is United’s biggest sale ever in terms of academy alumni, and its status means his £40 million commission represents the book’s pure profit.
This is the fourth largest transfer fee we have received in the long history of the Red Devils, behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Romell Lukaku and Angel Di Maria.
Garnacho is not the last player to leave Old Trafford before the summer transfer window slam closes at 7pm on Monday.
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Rasmus Hojlund is on the verge of a seasonal loan switch to Naples, where he is obliged to sign him for £39 million if he qualifies for the Champions League.
Antony is also expected to return to the real Betis permanently after the recent talk accelerates.
Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia, who joined Garnacho and Antony as exiles on Amorim’s team, are also leaving.
United are keen to sign goalkeepers and midfielders before the deadline, and the exit could further encourage movement.
