When Chelsea decided to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United last summer, there were many raised eyebrows. The Argentine had broken through at Old Trafford with expectations of becoming a future superstar. But somewhere along the way, he had lost his place in the team. And there were question marks over his attitude as well.
To be fair, Garnacho has been decent for Chelsea. Certainly a lot better than fellow summer signing Jamie Gittens. Yes, he has not played at a level which justifies being a starter for the Blues. But eight goals and four assists in 1935 minutes of football is not a bad return for a winger.
Only one of those goals has come in the Premier League though. And if Chelsea do go out and sign a quality left winger in the summer, where would that leave Garnacho?
Amid all this, an unexpected transfer rumour has emerged. Could Garnacho leave Chelsea on loan and head to Argentina?
Garnacho to make loan move to Argentina out of nowhere?
According to beIN Sports, reports from South America claim that River Plate manager Eduardo Coudet has already made contact with Garnacho to explore a potential move. Chelsea would be open to a one-year loan, which would allow the Argentine international to rebuild confidence away from the pressure of English football.
Not many would have seen this rumour cropping up? A couple of years ago, Garnacho was considered the future of Manchester United. And as we already pointed out, his numbers at Chelsea are not terrible either.
Let’s take a deeper dive into the numbers. Garnacho is the 84th percentile for assists and expected assists. He is in the 92nd percentile for pass completion percentage, 100th percentile for long ball completion percentage and 85th percentile for touches in the opposition box. Also, these are stats based on totals. When you break it down to per 90 minutes, they look even better.
There are a lot of things to like about Garnacho. What is letting him down is shooting, finishing and carrying of the ball. There is a player in there. And at 21 years of age, it is far too early to give up on him.
Chelsea should loan out Jamie Gittens and keep Alejandro Garnacho
Chelsea’s bigger problem lies with Gittens. The idea to sign him was a confusing one to begin with. He had been out of the Borussia Dortmund starting XI. Yet, the Blues were ready to shell out a transfer fee in the region of £50 million for the Englishman.
It has not paid off. Gittens has spent a lot of the season out injured. When he has played, he has not been particularly impressive.
In many ways, he is supposed to be a complementary player to Garnacho. Gittens thrives when driving at defenders and wins a lot of duels as well, something that the Argentine does not do.
That being said, it is hard to see how Gittens has a big role at Chelsea next season after the debut campaign he has had. It would be a good idea to send him out on loan, preferably to another Premier League club, so he gets more chances and adjusts to the English game.
