Chelsea have completed the £40 million signing of Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United, securing the 21-year-old on a long-term contract that runs until 2032.
Garnacho, who broke into United’s senior side in 2022, made 144 appearances and scored 26 goals before making the switch to Stamford Bridge. The forward described his move as a dream come true and hailed Chelsea’s status as world champions.
“It’s an incredible moment for my family and I to join this great club,” Garnacho told Chelsea’s official website. “I can’t wait to get started. I watched the Club World Cup and to join the world champions is special, we’re the best team in the world!”
The winger becomes the latest high-profile addition to Enzo Maresca’s squad as Chelsea continue their aggressive rebuild. His signing is being viewed as a major coup given his age and potential.
However, Garnacho’s arrival was overshadowed by late drama involving striker Nicolas Jackson. The Senegal international had travelled to Germany to undergo a medical ahead of a £13 million loan move to Bayern Munich but was abruptly recalled after teammate Liam Delap suffered a hamstring injury in Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Fulham.
According to BBC Sport, Jackson was left “angry” at the collapse of the deal, though both clubs are expected to revisit talks in the coming days.
Reacting to the situation after the Fulham game, manager Maresca admitted he was caught off guard. “I just finished the game, came here and have no idea. We’re going to sit now and we’ll see. Honestly, I have no idea,” he said. “When you have two strikers, it’s enough. When one of them is injured for different weeks, probably it’s not enough.”
Chelsea will next face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on September 17 — a clash in which Jackson, ironically, is now expected to lead the line in blue rather than red.
