There is the growing possibility that Manchester United and Chelsea could pull off a transaction to benefit each other, sending Alejandro Garnacho to London while Christopher Nkunku moves in the opposite direction, according to multiple reports.
Both mercurial forwards have endured their own struggles in recent months. Nkunku has scarcely been a starter for Chelsea beyond the Conference League—and the Frenchman didn’t even get off the bench in the final of Europe’s third-tier club competition.
Garnacho openly put his future in doubt after appearing for just 19 minutes in United’s continental final against Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentine forward has done little to suggest that his stance has changed over the subsequent weeks, most recently posting a provocative image of himself in an Aston Villa kit.
It’s increasingly clear that United and Chelsea are keen on offloading these divisive forwards and, as The Telegraph suggest, they could “trade places” to suit all parties involved. The report is quick to stress that no “swap deal” is on the table—a stance supported by The Athletic. These would be two separate arrangements.
However, both outlets insist that United are interested in Nkunku—French media have reported that “contact has been made” between the club and player—while Chelsea’s admiration of Garnacho dates back to the January transfer window.
The United winger’s agents were spotted at Stamford Bridge during the winter flurry of matches and transfer meetings but no deal ever came to pass. Based upon the reported stance of the player and a supposedly unimpressed Ruben Amorim, it looks increasingly likely that Garnacho will be on his way out of Old Trafford this summer. In the event of an exit, the 20-year-old is thought to favour a move within the Premier League.
Enzo Maresca has been more openly supportive of Nkunku. “Christo is our player,” the Chelsea boss stressed earlier this week. “He’s doing very well in the last four or five days and he could get some chances.”
Whether Maresca’s faith in the Frenchman remains when faced with the prospect of replacing him with Garnacho could be another matter entirely.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Report: Man Utd, Chelsea Consider Ambitious Two-Way Transfer.