'Best team in the world' - Garnacho seals Chelsea move

Garnacho was at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to watch Chelsea's 2-0 win over Fulham

Chelsea have signed Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United for £40m.

The 21-year-old has signed a long-term deal at Stamford Bridge that runs through to 2032.

"It's an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club," Garnacho told Chelsea's club website.

"I can't wait to get started. I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special – we're the best team in the world!"

The forward becomes Chelsea's ninth arrival of the summer and fifth attacking addition after Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Estevao and Jamie Gittens.

'Maresca gets his man'

The signing of Garnacho is deemed important by Blues manager Enzo Maresca.

The Italian revealed at an August news conference that his two transfer priorities were to sign a central defender and a left winger capable of providing competition for Gittens.

The club only approved one of his requests, adding an attacker, and instructed Maresca to work with the existing defensive options.

Enter Garnacho, who has been a long-term target as highlighted by the public sighting of his agents, Carlos Cambeiro and Quique de Lucas, at Stamford Bridge in late January.

Despite knowing he was available, Chelsea appear to have used delaying tactics to drive down the Argentine's price while working to sell Jackson, Nkunku and Tyrique George to create space in the squad.

At £40m, Garnacho is good value, and will be keen to prove he is more than just a cost-effective buy, but a difference maker in an already well-stocked Blues attack.

What type of player are Chelsea getting?

Garnacho has accumulated plenty of experience since his debut in April 2022 and made 144 senior appearances for United. He undoubtedly works hard off the ball and no United player won possession in the final third more often last season.

But he has often been accused of being wasteful in front of goal.

Garnacho has scored 27 times in his club career - a goal every 5.3 games - and reached double figures in all competitions in each of the past two seasons. He found the net six times in 36 Premier League appearances in the previous campaign, which doesn't appear a bad return for a United side that finished in 15th place.

But Garnacho attempted 84 league shots in 2024-25 and, of forward players to take more than 50, his conversion rate of 7.1% was the fourth worst. His expected goals per shot was also the fifth lowest, suggesting that when he does pull the trigger it's often from an unlikely scoring position.

However, the most eye-catching statistic is Garnacho's propensity to waste genuine goalscoring opportunities. He scored just two of the 16 big chances he was presented with last season - and only Southampton's Cameron Archer fared worse, converting just one of 11.

What went wrong at Old Trafford?

Garnacho's future at United has been the subject of major conjecture from the moment he was exiled from the squad to face Manchester City last December.

Manager Ruben Amorim felt he was not paying attention to instructions when the Argentina international was about to come on late in a Europa League tie with Viktoria Plzen.

Although, unlike Marcus Rashford, Garnacho's exile only lasted a single game. But he didn't start again for another month. By that time interest from Chelsea, which included a visit to Stamford Bridge from the players' agents for their game against Wolves, was already apparent.

The deal did not go through, but it was close, and Garnacho was disappointed it didn't happen.

Given Amorim doesn't use wide forwards, which is where the player feels he is best, compromise was only going to last so long.

The uneasy situation erupted when Garnacho was left out of the Europa League final starting line-up, prompting a critical social media post from his brother Roberto and then a post-match interview from the player, who questioned why he had been omitted by Amorim.

The United coach's response was to tell Garnacho to find another club.

For weeks, it has been obvious who the forward wanted it to be. Now it is confirmed.