We’re into the final week of the winter transfer window, and Manchester United still haven’t completed a single piece of business. Talk continues of course, about the potential departures of Marcus Rashford and/or Alejandro Garnacho. We have an update on the latter, but the bottom line is this- Old Trafford needs to get some deals over the line. How can the INEOS rebuild ever get any real momentum going, unless they reshape this roster?
They can’t and they won’t, unless they first start with jettisoning the guys who don’t fit and/or don’t want to be there.
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We start with Garnacho, who is being linked with a move to Chelsea now, of all places.
Here’s the hook- it would be part of a swap deal for Christopher Nkunku, according to Sky Sports Germany. The Sky article states that: “Chelsea do not want to sell Nkunku, but it is thought they would be tempted to do business for £70m.”
Honestly, does this make sense for either side? Should United really give up already on Garnacho?
And what does the Argentinian international bring to Chelsea that Pedro Neto or Jadon Sancho (speaking of United forwards who didn’t make it and were then cast-off) don’t already provide?
And on the other side, what does Nkunku bring to United? He’s only started three Premier League games for the Blues this season, as he just doesn’t fit. But that isn’t exactly what United need right now either.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.