Manchester United reportedly declined a swap deal that would have sent Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea in exchange for Romeo Lavia, despite Pep Guardiola’s prior praise for the ex-Man City midfielder.
According to a report from ESPN, Manchester United reportedly turned down the chance of swapping Alejandro Garnacho for Romeo Lavia this summer, despite the Chelsea star previously impressing Pep Guardiola.
This decision has put a spotlight on the Reds’ current midfield situation, where the deal “could have gone a long way in addressing the Reds’ midfield woes at present.”
Garnacho ultimately completed a £40million move to Stamford Bridge, following speculation about his future after the forward criticised his club’s “lacklustre Premier League campaign which saw them finish at a lowly 15th.”
United’s decision to pursue a straight cash sale comes after their interest in Brighton’s Carlos Baleba stalled due to his club’s prohibitive £100m price tag, and with Casemiro “entering the twilight years of his career.”
Lavia, who secured a move to Chelsea for a fee thought to be in the region of £58m, initially broke through the Manchester City youth academy in 2021 before moving to Southampton, where he racked up 34 appearances.
His talent did not go unnoticed by his former manager, with Guardiola saying: “I am really impressed with what Romeo has done and is doing.
We had, and we have, an incredible opinion about him. We thought to keep him, but maybe he would not (get) enough minutes like he has in Southampton.”
Despite the missed opportunity, United are tipped to re-enter the transfer market when it reopens in January.