Public disputes with players have become the norm for Manchester United managers in recent times, stretching back to Jose Mourinho’s falling out with Paul Pogba, to Erik ten Hag’s exile of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Marcus Rashford, too, was also something of an issue during the Dutchman’s final full campaign, having notably been forced to sit out the FA Cup trip to Newport County following a night out in Belfast.
That has since been followed by the breakdown of the Englishman’s relationship with Ruben Amorim, with the 27-year-old having not been seen in a United shirt since being left out of the Manchester Derby in early December, alongside Alejandro Garnacho.
Despite working his way back into favour since then, the young Garnacho looks destined to follow a similar path to his senior colleague, with Amorim reportedly telling the 20-year-old – in front of his teammates – to find a new club, following the Europa League final.
While that decision may prove to be one that United regret if the Argentine goes on to shine elsewhere, the former Sporting CP coach is rightly showing a zero tolerance attitude with regard to any player who is trying to rock the boat.
With a price tag of £60-£70m mooted, the mercurial winger is almost certain to leave this summer – as noted by Fabrizio Romano – with a replacement perhaps already being lined up.
Man Utd's search for a forward
It’s no real secret that the top end of the pitch is Amorim’s priority this summer, with Matheus Cunha already in the door, and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo seemingly set to follow, should a deal be agreed.
With the likes of Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Antony all expected to be on their way, however, alongside Garnacho, further firepower is surely still needed – not least with Rasmus Hojlund also the subject of interest from Inter Milan.
With that in mind, reports in Spain have indicated that United could be ready to battle Bayern Munich for the ambitious signing of AC Milan star, Rafael Leao, with the Portuguese international seeking an exit from the San Siro.
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The suggestion is that both the Red Devils and the Bundesliga champions have already begun talks over a potential move for the 25-year-old, with the player said to be a ‘priority target’ for the Old Trafford side.
A potential sticking point could be the asking price, however, with the Serie A outfit likely to demand in the region of €100m (£84m), with three years left to run on his existing deal.
The former Lille man – who has also courted interest from Chelsea, reportedly – will certainly not come cheap, although he could represent the perfect upgrade as far as Amorim’s attacking options go.
How Leao compares to Garnacho
A man with Sporting CP connections – like Amorim, Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes – Leao rose through the youth ranks in Lisbon, prior to sealing a switch to France in the summer of 2018.
Following just a solitary season in Lille, however, the 6 foot 2 sensation has since spent the last six years in Italy, racking up 132 goals and assists in 260 games for his current side to date.
While typically a winger by trade, Leao’s flexibility to feature centrally could ensure he proves a particularly valuable option for Amorim, with the wantaway star comfortable operating in any of the forward roles in the 40-year-old’s 3-4-3 system.
Such adaptability is beautifully merged with the forward’s mesmeric ability, particularly as a ball-carrier, with Portugal boss Roberto Martinez hailing him as “one of the best players in the world in exploiting spaces and in one-on-one duels”.
That is evidenced by the fact that he notably ranks in the top 5% of wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, with the lively Garnacho, for instance, ranking in just the bottom 30% in that regard.
Games (starts)
36 (23)
34 (25)
Goals
6
8
Goal conversion
7%
12%
Big chances missed
14
8
Assists
2
8
Big chances created
4
10
Key passes*
1.0
1.7
Pass accuracy*
83%
77%
Successful dribbles*
0.7
1.7
Total duels won*
38%
50%
As showcased above too, it is Leao who also comes out on top across a string of other metrics, having notably missed just eight ‘big chances’ in Italy last season, while Garnacho missed 14 in the Premier League.
Equally, the Milan man also racked up 25 goals and assists in all competitions in 24/25, placing him ahead of Garnacho’s own return of 21 goal involvements across all fronts back in Manchester.
While Leao does boast the benefit of being five years older than his attacking counterpart, his remarkable consistency has seen him rack up ten assists in each of the last four Serie A campaigns, scoring a total of 43 league goals in that time.
Garnacho could get to that level eventually, although with United in desperate need of instant improvement, the Portuguese speedster could represent the ideal upgrade that Amorim is in need of.
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