Manchester United attacker Alejandro Garnacho has reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Atletico Madrid, with the Argentina international set to return to the La Liga giants this summer.
Garnacho joined Atletico's youth system from Getafe in 2015, and he spent five years with the Red and Whites before making the move to Man United, eventually breaking into the English club's first team in 2022.
The 20-year-old has made 128 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring 23 goals and registering 16 assists in the process, including eight goals and seven assists in 42 outings during the 2024-25 campaign.
Garnacho is without a goal for Man United since the end of November, though, while he has only managed three goals and one assist in 26 Premier League appearances this term.
There was a host of speculation surrounding the forward's future during the January transfer window, with both Napoli and Chelsea believed to be keen to sign him, but the market ended with him still at Old Trafford.
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Garnacho 'reaches verbal agreement' over Atletico return
Man United are not actively looking to sell Garnacho, but his exit would count as pure profit under the Premier League's rules surrounding Profit and Sustainability, so his departure would do a lot for the club's finances.
According to Fichajes, Garnacho has already reached a verbal agreement with Atletico, and he is now expected to return to the Spanish giants during this summer's transfer window.
The report claims that Atletico head coach Diego Simeone views the youngster as the perfect player to complement Julian Alvarez in the final third of the field, while Man United have reluctantly decided to let the player leave.
The Red Devils are said to be looking for a fee in the region of €50m (£42m) for Garnacho, which is unlikely to prove to be too problematic for Atletico, who are fighting on three fronts in the latter stages of the campaign.
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Garnacho has struggled to thrive in Amorim's 3-4-3 system
Garnacho's best work for Man United has come from a wide position, but he is being asked to operate as a number 10 in a 3-4-3 formation under current head coach Ruben Amorim, and it just has not happened for the attacker.
There have been unsavoury incidents too, with Garnacho's recent reaction to being substituted against Ipswich Town in the Premier League leading to friction with head coach Amorim.
Garnacho also showed his frustration at being substituted in the Europa League against Real Sociedad last time out, and it is believed that he is now actively looking to leave Old Trafford, having previously been keen to stay.
There is also speculation surrounding the future of Kobbie Mainoo, with the England international said to be prepared to reject the chance to sign a new deal at Old Trafford in order to seek a move abroad.
Matt Law
