Alejandro Garnacho has long ceased to be Manchester United's great hope for the future. Right now, there is an argument to make that he is their best player. He is United's joint-most productive player in the Premier League, tied with Bruno Fernandes on 10 goal contributions each. Within the last four months, the winger has scored five goals and notched five assists.
Yet his numbers, as impressive as they are, do not tell the whole story. Among supporters, Garnacho has reached almost messianic status. Every time he gets on the ball at Old Trafford, people get out of their seats. And practically every act he commits on the pitch is greeted with the familiar cry of 'Viva Garnacho, running down the wing, hear United sing'.
There has been a special bond between United fans and Garnacho ever since he spearheaded the Under-18s side to glory in the FA Youth Cup in 2022, and the ties have grown stronger as he has made in-roads into the first team. There was an element of doubt about whether he could repeat his feats in youth football at the highest level, but little by little he has cast those aside, proving he has the mentality and maturity to match his extraordinary talents.
Garnacho has long settled the question of whether or not he is good enough for Manchester United. The big question now is whether or not Manchester United are good enough for him.
