Chelsea offered Mauricio Pochettino’s £58m signing to Manchester United | Football
Manchester United rejected the chance to sign one of Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea signings as they negotiated a deal for Alejandro Garnacho.
Chelsea paid £40m to sign Argentina international Garnacho from Premier League rivals United last summer.
Garnacho was once viewed as one of the most exciting players at Old Trafford but Ruben Amorim sanctioned his departure after growing frustrated with his form and attitude off the pitch.
Chelsea were in talks with Manchester United for a number of months before finally agreeing a deal at the end of August.
The Blues were unwilling to meet United’s initial asking price of around £60m and tried to offer a number of players to the Red Devils as bait in the deal.
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According to ESPN, one the players Chelsea offered was Romeo Lavia but United turned down the opportunity due to concerns over his fitness record.
Chelsea spent £58m to sign Lavia from Southampton in 2023 when Pochettino was in charge at Stamford Bridge.
Such was the level of interest in Lavia, Premier League rivals Liverpool were left disappointed by his decision to move to west London.
It may well have been a blessing in disguise, however, as Lavia has struggled badly with reoccurring injury issues since arriving at Stamford Bridge.
Lavia was limited to just one appearance during his first season at Chelsea and only played 16 league games last term.
The 21-year-old’s poor injury record has seen him slip down the pecking order at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Maresca only handing him one start in the Premier League this season.
Manchester United rejected the chance to sign Lavia despite Amorim wanting to bolster his midfield options in the summer.
United are being linked with Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher ahead of the January transfer window but ESPN say they will wait until the summer to bring in midfield reinforcements.
Garnacho endured an underwhelming start to his Chelsea career, going six games without a goal or an assist.
But the United academy graduate scored two goals and made a further two assists in Chelsea’s last four games before the international break.
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell has backed Garnacho to develop into ‘one of the best players in Europe’, telling TNT Sports: ‘Chelsea fans are crying out to see the real Garnacho.
‘He’s certainly got some talent and the quality. We just need to see it more in a Chelsea shirt. When he’s in form, he’s one of the best in Europe, that’s for sure.’
Maresca’s Chelsea, currently third in the Premier League, return to action on Saturday against Burnley before a Champions League clash with La Liga champions Barcelona.
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Chelsea offered Mauricio Pochettino’s £58m signing to Manchester United | Football
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