Alejandro Garnacho has doubted his Manchester United future after being dropped for the Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
Garnacho, 20, had featured in every knockout round leading up to the final but was benched by manager Ruben Amorim in favour of Mason Mount, only coming on with 19 minutes left as United chased an equaliser.
“Until we reached the final, I played every round. And I played 20 minutes today… I don’t know,” Garnacho told reporters.
“We didn’t beat anyone in the league. We lacked a lot of things. When you don’t score goals, you always need more.”
United’s 1-0 defeat in Bilbao capped a dismal domestic season, with the club currently sitting 16th in the Premier League and on course to miss out on European football entirely.
Garnacho’s future has been the subject of speculation in recent months, with reported interest from Napoli and Chelsea during the January transfer window. His absence from the squad for December’s clash against Manchester City first raised questions over his relationship with Amorim.
“The final will influence (my decision) but the whole season, the situation of the club (will too),” he said. “I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards.”
His brother, Roberto Garnacho, fuelled speculation by posting on social media that Alejandro had been “thrown under the bus”.
Amorim defended his selection, pointing to Mount’s impact in the semi-final second leg against Athletic Bilbao, where he scored twice off the bench.
“How many times have we had this conversation, and it was the opposite? Some players come in, like Mason Mount, against Bilbao and changed the game,” said Amorim.
“Who missed the big opportunity in the first half against Bilbao? Yeah—Garnacho. Of course, now it is easy for us to talk about a lot of views.”
United have one league fixture remaining to avoid a finish outside the bottom five—something the club has never experienced in the Premier League era.
About the Author
