'So full of yourself' - Alejandro Garnacho sent brutal message and told he's 'no better than anyone else' after swapping Man Utd for Chelsea

Garnacho's life in the capital hasn’t exactly exploded into form and goals as Chelsea fans would have expected. Since arriving in August, the Argentine has played just 331 minutes across seven matches. He found the net for the first time last weekend in Chelsea’s shock defeat to Sunderland. However, his problems were born in Manchester, where his rise was marred by a series of disciplinary and attitude issues. Reports from The Sunrevealed that senior figures like Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and Harry Maguire confronted him multiple times about his selfishness and lack of team spirit. And his clashes with United boss Amorim eventually sealed his fate. A controversial incident during a trip to Plzen convinced the Portuguese manager that Garnacho was damaging the dressing-room unity. By January, the decision was made to exile him from first-team training as he was forced to become a part of the club's infamous “bomb squad.” During the summer, Chelsea came calling and he was sold off for £40 million ($54m). 

Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni, who gave Garnacho his senior international debut, has not selected him for the national team since November 2024. And Ruggeri, who was part of Argentina's 1986 World Cup winning squad, warned that talent alone is not enough to save Garnacho’s career. 

In an interview with TNT Sport, he said: "He’s no better than anyone else, you’re a football player, enjoy it, but you shouldn’t be so full of yourself. It’s pointless because you miss out on so much. Someone has to bring him down to earth. They’re not calling him up to the national team. If he comes back down to earth like he was, they’ll call him up again because he’s phenomenal on the pitch."

Garnacho found himself back in headlines for all the wrong reasons before even kicking a ball for Chelsea. He could not be named in the matchday squad against Fulham as he was registered late, but the forward traced his steps to the Stamford Bridge VIP box to support his teammates from the stands. However, Sky’s cameras caught the young star scrolling on his phone just minutes into the match instead of watching the live action. It was a poor advertisement for the new signing, and Jamie Carragher couldn’t hide his disgust.

"You know what I didn't like?" the Liverpool legend blasted. "Did you see the game [against Fulham], when they go to the people in the stands and they are on their phones with the game going on? I can't stand it. And it's not just him by the way, but I can't stand it. So it's a miss for that. For sitting on his phone during an important game for Chelsea." 

Former Chelsea manager, Roberto Di Matteo, also suggested that Garancho must "learn and mature" fast to realise his full potential. 

"You can see that he has a tonne of potential and if he can manage to grow and develop and become the player that he thinks he is and we all hope he can be, then it becomes a bargain to sign him for that price," he said. "But let’s not forget he is only young, 21, so still needs to learn and mature as a person and as a football player. Sometimes when you are young you can make some mistakes, he just needs to learn from that. He’s coming into a team with a good hierarchy, they can help him to fulfil his potential. I don’t think he can rock the boat at Chelsea, there is a good group, a good team environment. Also, the manager has a good grip on the team."

Not many doubt Garnacho's qualities with the ball. But the story of his young career so far has been one of missed opportunities and self-inflicted wounds. There have been several young stars who have burned brightly, only to fizzle out because they believed their own hype. The forward must ensure that he is not on that list a few years down the line. The Blues advanced in the Carabao Cup with a narrow win over Wolves, and next up is a fierce Premier League showdown with Tottenham, where the Argentine will look to impress Maresca.