Alejandro Garnacho has made a remarkable initial impression at Chelsea. The 21-year-old winger, who departed from Manchester United at the conclusion of the summer transfer window, has attracted attention at the Cobham training facility over the past week or so.
Shortly after signing a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge, Enzo Maresca placed Garnacho in a challenging situation. The Chelsea coaching staff aimed to assess the fitness of the Argentina international, thus assigning him various strength and conditioning tasks to complete.
Garnacho and Facundo Buonanotte, who was acquired by the Blues from Brighton on loan on deadline day, commenced their training in the gym before joining their new teammates on the pitch. Upon joining Enzo Maresca’s squad, the duo was subjected to a rigorous running exercise.
In a video shared across the club’s social media platforms, Garnacho appeared fatigued. However, Wesley Fofana, seemingly unfazed by the demanding drill, expressed little sympathy for the Argentine, stating: “Welcome to Chelsea Football Club.”
“I can’t move my legs now, man,” replied Garnacho. The former United winger appears to have really knuckled down in west London, with his hard work and behaviour not going unnoticed.
Speaking to reporters at Cobham on Friday morning, Maresca heaped praise on Garnacho, suggesting that he could make his debut against Brentford this weekend. The Chelsea boss said: “He’s working well.
“For sure he needs to work because he arrived here probably not 100 per cent fit. So he needs to work. He’s working well and we’ll see. But hopefully soon we can give him minutes.”
Garnacho gave an interview when he swapped Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge at the end of last month. Speaking to the official club website, he said: “I have a winning mentality. I have passion and a big personality.
“It’s a natural fit with a club like Chelsea, which have just won the Club World Cup. Chelsea are at the top now, and it’s important to fight for the club like the fans deserve. I watched the Club World Cup, and to join the world champions is special – it means we’re the best team in the world!
“It’s not common to have played a lot of games at this age, but it has helped me a lot. I’m only 21 and I have a lot of experience from these different types of games, stadiums and moments.”
Garnacho was a regular in Ruben Amorim’s side until he was suddenly dropped to the bench for the Europa League final. The winger had started in each of United’s previous knockout ties in the competition, so the decision quickly cast doubt over his future.
Then, a few days later, the United boss omitted him from the matchday squad on the final day of the Premier League season. Garnacho was informed that he could leave – and duly completed a £40million move to Chelsea.
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