Man Utd transfer news: Red Devils 'rejected' chance to sign two Chelsea players in Alejandro Garnacho switch

Manchester United reportedly rejected the chance to sign Romeo Lavia or Christopher Nkunku from Chelsea as part of the deal that saw Alejandro Garnacho make the move to Stamford Bridge.

Garnacho was told at the end of the 2024-25 campaign that he was no longer in the plans of Man United head coach Ruben Amorim, and the Argentina international made Chelsea his first-choice destination.

A switch to the Blues eventually went through on August 30, with the London club paying £40m for his signature.

According to ESPN, Chelsea had offered Man United the chance to sign Lavia or Nkunku as part of the agreement, but the 20-time English champions were not interested in either player.

The report claims that Lavia's fitness record was concerning for Man United - the former Southampton midfielder has struggled with a number of injuries during his time at Stamford Bridge.

© Imago / Sportimage

Man United 'rejected' chance to sign Lavia, Nkunku

Lavia has only featured on 31 occasions for the Blues since his arrival in 2023 and is yet to complete a full 90 minutes for his current club, which is a damning statistic.

Nkunku, meanwhile, was also allegedly offered to Man United, with the Red Devils looking to boost their options in the final third of the field.

However, the France international was not of interest to the 20-time English champions, with the club instead bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.

Nkunku ultimately made the move to AC Milan, and he has represented the Italian team on eight occasions since his arrival, scoring once and registering one assist in the process.

Milan paid £36m for Nkunku, and he left Stamford Bridge having scored 18 goals and registered five assists in 62 appearances in all competitions for the London club.

© Imago

How has Garnacho performed for Chelsea this season?

Garnacho has made 10 appearances for Chelsea this season, scoring twice and registering two assists.

There remain question marks surrounding the 21-year-old's attitude, and he had a slow start to his career at Chelsea, but there have been positive signs in recent weeks.

Garnacho still has hopes of breaking back into the Argentina squad for the 2026 World Cup, but he has a lot to do to force his way into the plans of head coach Lionel Scaloni for next summer's tournament.