Napoli’s sporting director, Giovanni Manna, recently shared why their bid for Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United fell apart at the tail end of the winter transfer window.

The Argentine winger had sparked significant interest from top European clubs like Tottenham, Chelsea, and Napoli.

Even his manager, Ruben Amorim, admitted that Garnacho’s departure was a real possibility.

When asked if Garnacho might leave United for another club during the season, Amorim gave a vague but telling response: “That, nobody knows. Anything can happen.”

A Tough Negotiation with Manchester United

Napoli was not the only club eyeing Garnacho during this window.

Tottenham initially reached out about a loan deal while they were still dealing with Mathys Tel’s transfer.

However, it was Napoli who made a serious move for the 20-year-old winger.

The club’s interest only grew after the departure of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for a massive £59 million.

Manna spoke candidly about the talks, saying, “We made an important bid to Manchester United for Garnacho. We really wanted him.”

Despite this strong interest, personal terms with Garnacho proved to be a stumbling block.

“He requested an important salary to leave in January, and we must respect our players,” Manna explained.

Manchester United’s Response

Initially, United rejected Napoli’s opening £40 million offer for Garnacho, even though the relationship between Amorim and the club’s head coach had been a bit tense.

This came after a somewhat surprising decision in December when Garnacho, alongside Marcus Rashford, was dropped from the lineup against Manchester City.

Amorim had pointed to their attitudes in training as the reason for the exclusion. Still, Garnacho eventually regained his place and became a regular starter, including in United’s recent 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Despite past disciplinary concerns, Amorim remains optimistic about Garnacho’s potential, emphasizing that he is part of the club’s future.

“He has talent. He needs to learn to play in a different position.

He’s improving during training,” Amorim noted, pointing out how Garnacho has been working on his defensive game and positioning.

Garnacho’s Current Status and Napoli’s Winter Business

Despite all the attention, Garnacho has continued to make an impact for United this season.

He has played 36 games, scoring eight goals and providing six assists, although his last goal came in November during a 3-2 victory over Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League.

CIES Football Observatory has valued the winger at £82.27 million, a price that has likely priced Napoli out of a potential future move.

Meanwhile, the Serie A leaders completed four signings in the winter window, including Noah Okafor, who has joined on loan from AC Milan for six months.

Okafor is expected to fill the role vacated by Kvaratskhelia on Napoli’s left wing.

As for Garnacho, his future at United seems secure for now, but whether he’ll remain there for the long term or move to another club in the future is still up in the air.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

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