Chelsea in talks to sign £40m "superstar" who'd brilliantly replace Madueke
da bwin： After being crowned champions of the world on Sunday, are Chelsea serious contenders to win the biggest prizes next season?
da gbg bet： At the weekend, the Blues sprung a massive surprise by demolishing Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium, with Cole Palmer scoring two, near-identical quick-fire goals, before João Pedro added a third on the cusp of half time.
After the win, club captain Reece James stated that the team’s ambition is to be “competing” to win the Premier League and Champions League next season, so could signing a highly-rated player from an historic rival help them achieve this?
Chelsea targeting another wide-forward
Going out the exit door this summer is Noni Madueke.
He left the Chelsea squad ahead of the final to fly back to London so he could undergo a medical ahead of a reported £52m move to Arsenal, which is reportedly set to be finalised this week.
So, as they search for a replacement, Laurie Whitwell of the Athletic is reporting that Chelsea ‘remain in contact’ with Manchester United over the possibility of signing Alejandro Garnacho.
Back in May, manager Rúben Amorim reportedly informed Garnacho “to find a new club”, hence why he’s currently exiled from first-team training at Carrington, alongside Marcus Rashford, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho, recently of Chelsea of course.
After Chelsea paid a £5m penalty fee to not sign Sancho permanently, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that the Blues’ priority this summer was to sign a ‘right-footed winger capable of playing on the left flank’.
Jamie Gittens has already arrived from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of £48.5m, but already having options in a certain position has not stopped them in the past has it?
Garnacho has reportedly turned down the chance to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr, so could the Argentine international be on his way to Stamford Bridge, available for as little as £40m, according to David McDonnell of the Daily Mirror?
How Alejandro Garnacho would fit in at Chelsea
As has been their want since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s takeover of the club three years ago, Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market, particularly when it comes to signing attackers.
João Pedro has been the headline arrival to date, bagging a brace against former club Fluminense in the Club World Cup semis, before also netting in Sunday’s final demolition of PSG.
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Meantime, in terms of wide attackers, Kendry Páez, Estêvão Willian and Jamie Gittens will all arrive at Cobham once pre-season commences, meaning Enzo Maresca will have plenty of options.
Yet, it would appear the Blues aren’t content with their options, now targeting a certain Garnacho.
He impressed last season, despite playing for a generally dismal Manchester United team, with football content creator Liam Canning lauding him as a “superstar” – and Statman Dave asserting that he was one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet”, alongside Lamine Yamal; esteemed company to keep.
Meantime, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him an ‘outstanding ball carrier’, adding that he is a ‘constant threat in the final third’, while Andy Mitten of the Athletic believes he was one of Man United’s few ‘bright sparks’, particularly impressed by his ‘ability to beat players’.
So, let’s analyse his importance to Manchester United last season.
Garnacho’s 2024/25 statistics
Statistics
Garnacho
Man United rank
Minutes
3,571
5th
Goals
11
2nd
Assists
10
2nd
Shots
146
2nd
Shots on target
52
1st
Shot-creating actions
128
2nd
Attempted take-ons
136
1st
Progressive carries
204
1st
Carries into final third
103
1st
Carries into the box
107
1st
Progressive passes received
429
1st
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com
As the table outlines, Garnacho ranked first amongst his Manchester United teammates for all dribbling metrics last season, while second only to Bruno Fernandes in terms of goals, assists, shots and shot-creating actions.
Those metrics, notably carrying, make him particularly alike to the man he could replace in the shape of Madueke.
Yet, just how do they compare? We’ve crunched the numbers.
Garnacho vs Madueke 2024/25 Premier League
Statistics (per 90)
Garnacho
Madueke
Goals
0.3
0.4
Shots
2.3
2.6
Shooting accuracy %
55%
56%
Chances created
1.6
1.4
Shot-creating actions
3.4
3.5
Attempted take-ons
3.7
4.5
Take-on success %
32%
49%
Touches
52.4
47.4
Statistics courtesy of Squawka and FBref.com
As the table emphasises, Garnacho and Madueke’s statistics in the Premier League last season were remarkably similar, with the Argentine most notably coming out on top in terms of chances created.
He also produced a similar number of successful take-ons and was similarly prolific in front of goal.
Madueke’s departure will make way for Estêvão to see some action on the right wing, but perhaps Maresca would like another option on the left, and Garnacho could be his man.
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