Man United's sell-on clause could pay off as Chelsea told to offload Garnacho this summer

Alejandro Garnacho’s difficult debut season at Chelsea has reignited speculation over his future at Stamford Bridge, with pundit Danny Murphy arguing the 21-year-old should be the first name on the exit list when incoming manager Xabi Alonso assesses his squad this summer.

Garnacho joined Chelsea from Manchester United in a £40m deal last August after falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim. Despite scoring eight goals and contributing four assists across all competitions in his first season in west London, he found the net just once in 24 Premier League appearances and once in nine Champions League outings — a return that has left his long-term future at the club uncertain.

The underwhelming numbers matter beyond Chelsea’s walls. United’s hierarchy inserted a 10 per cent sell-on clause into the transfer after failing to secure the £50m they originally sought. Should Chelsea recoup their outlay on Garnacho, a portion of any profit would flow back to Old Trafford.

Murphy, speaking on behalf of NetBet, believes Garnacho is more expendable than fellow forward Liam Delap, who was a United transfer target before joining Chelsea. “I think Alejandro Garnacho has struggled, and the fans haven’t taken to him,” Murphy said. “A lot of Chelsea’s wide players have struggled to be honest — if you look at their front line, it’s only really João Pedro who has done well.”

On Delap, Murphy was clear about why the striker should stay. “Delap is a young lad and he brings some characteristics that Chelsea don’t have. He’s different to João Pedro, so I think Xabi Alonso will give him a crack.”

Murphy did acknowledge the practical obstacles to any Garnacho sale. “There might not be other clubs who want to take them with the wages they are on or pay the fee for them,” he said. “That is just the dynamic of football politics and transfers — you can easily say ‘they haven’t done very well, let’s move them on’, but where to, and for how much?”

Garnacho is contracted at Stamford Bridge until 2032, giving Alonso — who arrives having left Real Madrid — the option of handing the Argentine a fresh start rather than moving him on immediately. Whether a buyer materialises at the right price may ultimately determine which path Chelsea take.