Manchester United Declines Chelsea’s Player Swap Offer in Garnacho Transfer

Manchester United has declined Chelsea’s proposal to include either Romeo Lavia or Christopher Nkunku in the transfer deal for Alejandro Garnacho, as reported by ESPN.

Garnacho, 21, moved to Chelsea for a fee of £40 million ($52.62 million) on August 30, following a period in which he lost favor under United’s head coach, Ruben Amorim.

This summer, United invested £225 million in new signings, bringing in forwards Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko to bolster Amorim’s squad, with the addition of goalkeeper Senne Lammens on deadline day.

Despite recognizing the need for midfield reinforcements, United opted against Chelsea’s offer to include Lavia in the Garnacho transaction, citing concerns regarding the Belgian’s fitness history.

Lavia, who joined Chelsea from Southampton during the club’s extensive summer spending in 2023, has seen his playing time significantly hampered by injuries. Although he has shown promise when fit, his recurring muscle injuries have led to him missing over 75 games, with only 31 appearances across all competitions thus far.

He has not yet completed a full 90 minutes for Chelsea and is currently recovering from a quadriceps injury.

In addition, sources indicate that Nkunku was also presented to United before finalizing his transfer to AC Milan. The forward faced injury challenges during his tenure in England and struggled to replicate the outstanding form he displayed at RB Leipzig.

Chelsea is set to face Burnley on Saturday, while Manchester United will host Everton on Monday.

This report includes insights from ESPN’s Mark Ogden.