Tottenham are ‘prepared to test’ Man Utd by making a £60m bid for Alejandro Garnacho before the end of the January transfer window, according to reports.
There has been speculation that the Red Devils are riding close to the edge of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and could be open to bids for some of their key players.
Man Utd academy trio Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Marcus Rashford are among the players who are particularly valuable as they count as ‘pure profit’ towards PSR.
A report earlier on Wednesday insisted that their Premier League rivals are ‘ready to pounce’ for the Red Devils’ prized assets if Sir Jim Ratcliffe decides they need to sell in January.
Premier League clubs believe that Man Utd co-owner Ratcliffe could be ‘more open to a deal in the remaining three weeks of the window opposed to waiting’ until the summer, ‘anticipating’ the INEOS founder looking to avoid a ‘frantic PSR sale’.
Reports have indicated that Napoli have made a €45m offer for Man Utd academy product Garnacho, with those reports dismissed as ‘agent-driven’ by sources at Old Trafford, while the Red Devils apparently told the Serie A side they want €80m to sell in the winter market.
But now Football Transfers claim that Tottenham ‘have set their sights on’ Garnacho and ‘have lodged a concrete enquiry about the 20-year-old Argentine’s availability’.
The report adds:
‘Sources close to the club have revealed that the North London outfit may be prepared to test United’s resolve with a bid in the region of €70 million (£60m), a figure believed to be enough to tempt the Red Devils into selling the dynamic forward.’
It is claimed that ‘such a windfall could provide United with much-needed funds to bolster other areas of the squad, which is in desperate need of reinforcement’.
Garnacho ‘fits the profile’ that Tottenham are looking for this window and ‘the door is open to a deal’ with Man Utd ‘ready to sell’ the Argentina international.
But former Man Utd defender Gary Pallister reckons Garnacho still has a future at Old Trafford if he improves his “end product”.
Pallister told Betano: “I don’t know what’s gone on behind the scenes with Alejandro Garnacho. I think the fans look at him as one of the positives of the past couple of years, there were questions about his attitude when he was younger.
“He’s a threat, he does need to be that bit better in terms of his end product, but he’s got time on his side. He’s a young kid, if he understands what it means to be a Man Utd player then he’ll have a future at the club.
“Ruben Amorim seems the type of manager to cast you adrift if you’re not giving everything for the club, but the ball is in Garnacho’s court.”
