Man Utd transfer news: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may have signed next No 7 before sacking | Football | Sport
Back in 2020, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer signed Alejandro Garnacho for Manchester United. And the 18-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable rise to prominence since the appointment of Erik ten Hag, establishing himself as one of the most exciting young players in world football. With the No 7 shirt vacant, the teenager looks befitting of the jersey.
Manchester United had a solid enough transfer window back in the summer of 2020.
Donny van de Beek was brought in from Ajax, with the Netherlands international seen as a positive signing at the time.
Alex Telles touched down from Porto, while Amad, Facundo Pellistri and Edinson Cavani were all recruited as well.
But what went under the radar was United’s deal for Garnacho, with the teenager arriving from Atletico Madrid.
Few had heard of the Argentine at the time, with the player following in the footsteps of fellow youngsters Marc Jurado and Alvaro Fernandez by swapping the sunny shores of Spain for Manchester.
Fast-forward to now, however, and Garnacho is the talk of Old Trafford after yet another electrifying display.
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With United trailing 1-0 to Manchester City on Saturday following a header from Jack Grealish, Ten Hag rolled the dice by bringing on the teenager.
Once again, it was a masterstroke of a decision.
Garnacho was impressive for United and provided the assist for Marcus Rashford’s late winner before joining in the celebrations that took place around the stadium.
He is already a hero among fans, with supporters signing ‘Viva Garnacho’ – a chant that was previously given to Cristiano Ronaldo.
And, like the 18-year-old Ronaldo that joined United back in 2003, he’s playing with confidence, skill and trickery.
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The No 7 is a big deal at United and, normally, is given to flair players.
Ronaldo took it upon arriving all those years ago, with Sir Alex Ferguson imploring the Portugal international to take the digit instead of his preferred No 28.
David Beckham sported it before that, with the England international becoming a legend upon graduating from the academy.
Eric Cantona was another famous occupant, with the United hero helping them become a force during Ferguson’s time in the dugout.
And Bryan Robson and George Best are other legends to have taken it, too.
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Right now, the No 7 is free for someone else to take following the abrupt departure of Ronaldo.
And Garnacho is a player worthy of such an honour. The scary thing is, given his age, there’s still much to come.
Not all of Solskjaer’s signings worked. Even now, some are very much a work in progress.
Yet Garnacho is a player destined for the very top and it’ll be fascinating to see what he and his team-mates can achieve by the time the season comes to an end.
United legend Rio Ferdinand, meanwhile, thinks Garnacho is knocking on the door as he looks to nail down a starting spot.
“I looked at the bench and saw three centre halves, and I was thinking, ‘Wow, the depth isn’t really there’,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“But Garnacho comes on and changes the game.
“He is saying to the manager, ‘Get me on that pitch ASAP because I’m producing moments every time I go on. How can you make me sub?’.
“That’s what his performances are saying and I love it.
“The manager is using him perfectly well at the minute because he is impacting games.”
