Alejandro Garnacho has heavily linked with a move to Napoli in January, although a deal fell through and the forward remained at Manchester United.
Manchester United have an incredible record of producing talented players.
For example, 254 players have graduated from Manchester United’s academy, with Tyler Fredricson becoming the latest debutant.
United fans are proud of this tradition and they’ve enjoyed the emergence of players such as Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo in recent years.
Not every player makes the grade, though. Anthony Elanga and Tenden Mengi are examples of United academy graduates who are making their names known elsewhere.
The challenging part for Manchester United is identifying the best talent for the future as well as picking the right time to introduce them to the first team.
Ruben Amorim is expected to give plenty of minutes to youth players for the remainder of the Premier League season, while he focuses on delivering the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League.
Antonio Conte obsessed with Alejandro Garnacho
It was well documented in the mid-season transfer window that Napoli want to sign Garnacho, should the opportunity arise.
Ineos would be taking a risk by selling a player deemed a favourite amongst United fans, especially after coming through the youth ranks and becoming a star player for the first team.
A transfer didn’t materialise in January and reports in Italy claim this is now causing a stir between Napoli manager Antonio Conte and club chiefs.
Napoli — sitting second in Serie A — sold Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain in the winter and Conte has been vocal about the Italian club’s failure to replace the talented winger.
According to Calciomercato, Conte is ‘obsessed’ with the idea of signing Garnacho from United, but they also have cheaper alternatives on their radar, including Igor Paixao and Riccardo Orsolini.
The report claims Conte has become angered by Napoli’s current situation and he wants Garnacho at all costs this summer.
It remains to be seen what stance Amorim and Inoes will take to an offer for the 20-year-old forward in the summer. A considerable transfer fee could lead to an unpopular decision regarding a player who has scored just 10 goals in 51 appearances this term.
Conte wants to repeat Scott McTominay transfer
Scott McTominay has been nothing short of sensational for Napoli since his Manchester United departure last year.
The Scotland midfielder scored his ninth Serie A goal against Monza at the weekend, becoming the first Napoli midfielder to score nine goals in one season since Marek Hamsik.
Conte will want to repeat the McTominay transfer this summer and he already knows that buying players from United can prove successful.
That’s why Garnacho is on Conte’s radar.
Former England striker Gary Lineker insists that McTominay would be perfectly suited to United right now.
Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker said: “Scott McTominay scored two more goals, one of them a beauty, for Napoli at the beginning of the week.
“It’s remarkable how well some of the [former] United players are doing. McTominay is exactly the player, I would say, that would work in an Amorim system.
“He’s what they need. And I know they were forced to sell him because of this PSR and he’s a local lad, which we all think is a nonsensical and a ridiculous feature of this particular rule.”
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