Manchester United

Manchester United

Premier League • England

Man Utd hatch stunning Garnacho swap plan to seal £54.5m signing and prevent Man City, Real Madrid hijacks

Man Utd winger Alejandro Garnacho, PSG left-back Nuno Mendes

Man Utd could use Alejandro Garnacho to help sign Nuno Mendes

Man Utd are desperate to accelerate the signing of PSG left-back, Nuno Mendes, but with money in short supply and Manchester City AND Real Madrid entering the frame, a stunning swap involving Alejandro Garnacho is under consideration.

The signing of a new left-back/left wing-back is transfer priority No 1 for Man Utd from an arrivals perspective this month.

Nuno Mendes – who played for Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP – has been identified as a player worth pursuing.

The 22-year-old is in the final 18 months of his contract in Paris. TEAMtalk has been told Mendes has zero intention of penning fresh terms and as such, PSG have greenlit a sale.

But according to Caught Offside, PSG won’t sell on the cheap, with the Ligue 1 giant slapping a €65m/£54.5m valuation on the player.

Man Utd’s lack of financial might in the current window has been well documented. The Red Devils must sell well before they can even begin to think about paying the sort of sum Mendes will cost.

And in even more troubling news for Man Utd, Caught Offside state both Real Madrid and Man City are taking a close look at Mendes.

Real Madrid’s interest stems from their belief their No 1 left-back target, Alphonso Davies, will sign a new contract at Bayern Munich rather than leave as a free agent in the summer.

Caught Offside stated Man Utd are in talks over Mendes’ signing. To ensure their potential deal isn’t derailed by the new suitors, United want to quickly accelerate the move and that’s where Alejandro Garnacho comes in.

The Independent recently revealed Garnacho’s name has been floated to PSG. Including the winger in a blockbuster swap would serve as a way to either greatly reduce or wipe out entirely the sum Man Utd would have to pay to bring Mendes the other way.

The Independent’s Miguel Delaney wrote: “The asking price for Alejandro Garnacho isn’t quite so high (as Kobbie Mainoo’s), with the player having been mentioned in talks between United and Paris Saint-Germain over Nuno Mendes.

“The Old Trafford club are a way off his fee and wages, unless they sell of course.”

What about Khvicha Kvaratskhelia?

Of course, the obvious question to ask is are PSG open to signing Garnacho given they’re close to sealing a deal for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

PSG have struck a full agreement on personal terms with the Napoli winger who’ll earn more than four times his current salary if completing the switch. Talks between the two clubs regarding the transfer fee are in full swing. Napoli’s asking price is €80m.

Kvaratskhelia and Garnacho play in the exact same position of left wing. As such, it’s not guaranteed PSG would be receptive to signing Garnacho as well as Kvaratskhelia.

In any case, what is clear is Man Utd are open to offloading Garnacho if the parameters of a deal make sense.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently confirmed both Garnacho and fellow academy star, Kobbie Mainoo, are available for sale at the right price.

The sales of homegrown stars are extra lucrative for clubs, with the proceeds logged as ‘pure profit’ on the books. That is one of the reasons why Man Utd have approved Marcus Rashford’s sale.

It’s important to note Man Utd are not actively looking to sell Garnacho, though if they’re serious about rebuilding their squad in Amorim’s image, sacrifices will have to be made in order to free up funds.

Interestingly, reports coming out of Italy on Sunday claimed Napoli have identified Garnacho as their ideal replacement for Kvaratskhelia.

If Napoli were to make a firm move for Garnacho using the proceeds of Kvaratskhelia’s sale, Man Utd would then be in a position to table a bid for Mendes.

Latest Man Utd news – Kobbie Mainoo deal / Marcus Rashford exclusive

In other news, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Man Utd are in discussions to extend Kobbie Mainoo’s contract. The reporter also explained why it’s taken until now for negotiations to fire up.

“They want to insist on contract negotiations with Kobbie Mainoo,” said Romano on his YouTube channel. “So after extending the contract of Amad Diallo to 2030, Man Utd will try to push also with Kobbie Mainoo.”

The reporter added: “Remember that there were changes in the Manchester United board. New owners, then new directors, then Dan Ashworth leaves and now Jason Wilcox [taking the lead].

“So many changes and it means that sometimes you have to restart on some points in the conversations. But Man Utd are working on the new contract of Kobbie Mainoo.”

Elsewhere, TEAMtalk can confirm Man Utd are now open to offloading Marcus Rashford via the loan route. A permanent sale is still the preferred outcome, though a loan will be approved if suitable offers aren’t received.

AC Milan, Juventus, Napoli, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund are all circling. Links to Como and Monaco are wide of the mark, while Rashford does not look favourably on moving to Saudi Arabia at this stage in his career.

TEAMtalk has been informed Premier League pair Tottenham and Arsenal have asked for information about a possible deal.

However, it’s also our understanding that Man Utd would much prefer to sell/loan Rashford to a club outside of the Premier League.

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