'Garnacho will push for Real Madrid transfer' claims Man Utd legend

Suraj Radia

• 16 Nov 2024 10:30 GMT
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United star Nicky Butt has admitted he could see Alejandro Garnacho pushing for a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona in the near future.

Garnacho has continued to progress since establishing himself as a first team regular at Old Trafford, scoring ten goals and providing five assists in 47 Premier League games since the start of last season.

Speculation grew over Garnacho’s frustration at United after he refused to celebrate his goal against Leicester last weekend, having endured criticism from some fans in recent weeks.

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And Butt believes that Garnacho would be more appreciated at Real Madrid or Barcelona, with the 20-year-old likely to follow the trend of former Premier League stars like Cristiano Ronaldo who saw a move to Spain as a ‘step up’ from England.

“A lot of the players see the next level as being Real Madrid or Barca but we don’t see anywhere bigger than Man United,” Butt told Football’s Greatest Podcast. “Our mentality is if you leave Man United you’re going down.

"You don’t get appreciated here like you do at Madrid. You can guarantee Kylian Mbappe will be in the running for the Ballon d’Or next year because he’s at Real Madrid. It’s like Garnacho, he’s doing well here now.

"He’s a young Argentinian boy. If he keeps going, you can imagine him wanting to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona. Players become superstars there, not only on the football pitch."

Garnacho ‘dreaming’ of emulating Ronaldo transfer to Real Madrid

United have shown no desire to cash in on Garnacho, having renewed his contract last year until 2028, with the belief that the youngster could continue to develop into a global superstar at the club.

Garnacho, too, has not openly pushed for a transfer and has always professed his appreciation for United despite the recent question marks from some over his attitude on the pitch.

Current ETV

Alejandro Garnacho

F (L), M (RL)

Man Utd

Alejandro Garnacho

F (L), M (RL)

Man Utd

€38.8M

ETV Range

€29.1M - €48.5M

View full profile

However, reports in Spain and Argentina have previously suggested that Garnacho’s ‘dream’ is to play for Real Madrid, having seen his idol Ronaldo make a similar switch from United to the La Liga giants.

Real are believed to have a long-term interest in Garnacho but, with the likes of Vinicius Junior and Mbappe among the club’s options in attack, a move for the Argentine is unlikely to materialise anytime soon.