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Manchester United will be reviewing their squad under new boss Ruben Amorim, and Atletico Madrid could benefit
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Manchester United are in a period of transition under new boss Ruben Amorim, and it could see one player heading to Atletico Madrid as early as next month, according to reports in Spanish media. Amorim — ranked the 11th-best manager in the world right now by Four Four Two — took the reins from former manager Erik ten Hag earlier this year and the Portuguese coach’s differing tactical approach has brought upheaval for a number of the Dutchman’s former most trusted lieutenants. Now, one of United's key performers last season is being linked with a shock January move away. Spanish outlet Fichajes have reported that La Liga side Atletico Madrid are interested in bringing Red Devils winger Alejandro Garnacho back to the club. The 20-year-old spent a portion of his youth career in the academy setup with Rojiblancos before switching to United’s academy as a teenager. The Argentina international impressed at Carrington and earned his professional debut at Old Trafford in April 2022 against Chelsea at 17 years old. It wasn’t until last season that he became a mainstay of the senior side, making 36 Premier League appearances, netting seven goals — one of which being his Puskas Award-winning bicycle kick against Everton at Goodison Park — and providing four assists. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. But the arrival of Amorim has necessitated a positional tweak for the young winger, now most commonly used as one of the two no. 10s behind the main striker, and as a result has seen his status as a nailed-on starter somewhat tested. He was left out of the squad entirely, along with Marcus Rashford, for the recent Manchester derby. Fichajes report that Atletico boss Diego Simeone sees his fellow countryman as a promising boost to a potential Argentinian trio in attack along with his son Giuliano Simeone and Julian Alvarez, especially with Antoine Griezmann’s contract situation on the horizon. In Four Four Two’s opinion, while Garnacho’s absence against Manchester City perhaps lends weight to reports of a potential departure, it doesn’t feel like his story at Old Trafford is quite complete yet. He may not be guaranteed the same minutes as he was under Ten Hag, but he is still very young and very early into his senior career. His talent is evident, and there’s nothing to say that he can’t adapt and flourish after he’s spent some proper time on the training pitch with Amorim. Arsenal considering swap deal involving Gabriel Jesus for long-term target: report Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has 'dream' January target - but club looking elsewhere: report Watch Chelsea vs Shamrock Rovers: Live streams as Blues face first Irish side in their history Four Four Two is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site. ©
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