Chelsea ‘make shock move for Alejandro Garnacho with Man Utd star seen as replacement for outcast Christopher Nkunku’

Nkunku, 27, is weighing up his options, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich reportedly planning a swoop.

The Frenchman hasn't been able to cement a place in Enzo Marseca's starting line-up with Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer ahead in the pecking order.

Chelsea are in the market for a consistent winger amid Noni Madueke's drop off and Mykhailo Mudryk's provisional suspension, after the Ukrainian provided a positive result on an A-sample drugs test.

Athletic reporter David Ornstein wrote on X: "Conversations surrounding Chelsea's interest in Garnacho are at an 'early stage'."

Meanwhile, Napoli, who are set to lose Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG, had a £40million bid for Garnacho rejected by United this week.

But it is claimed that the Red Devils are holding out for £60million for their homegrown star and will listen to offers for the entire squad.

United are testing the margins of the Prem's Profit and Sustainability regulations after splashing over £600million in less than three years at the request of former gaffer Erik ten Hag.

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Garnacho, whose sale would represent pure profit on the books, came through United's ranks and has 23 goals in 116 appearances since making his debut in 2022.

But this season he has been at loggerheads with manager Ruben Amorim - who dropped the forward for the Manchester derby in December.

Garnacho has since returned to United's squad but was challenged to raise his levels by Amorim.

He played a full 90 minutes in United's late comeback 3-1 victory over Southampton last night.

But he was disappointed to miss a sitter in the early stages, before Amad Diallo's late 12-minute hat-trick saved Amorim's blushes.

Before Southampton, Amorim said: "He has talent and he needs to learn to play in a different position.

"He needs to play better inside. He improves a lot in the recovering position when he doesn’t have the ball.

"But by doing that, sometimes he’s not in the right place to make transitions like he was in the past.

"He’s improving during training and started the last game against Arsenal."

Chelsea solved United's Jadon Sancho conundrum on deadline day last summer.

Sancho was shipped out on loan to Stamford Bridge for the season - with the Blues then obliged to buy him for a reported £23milion fee.

The former Dortmund star, 24, was soon handed regular starts ahead of Nkunku.

Nkunku, who joined from RB Leipzig for £52million in 2023, has only scored two goals in 18 Premier League appearances.

But he has amassed a total of 13 goals and four assists in 28 appearances across all competitions.

Nkunku has been reduced to being a cup player- scoring seven goals in seven Europa Conference League appearances, and one in the EFL Cup and FA Cup.

The Blues are also keeping tabs on Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi, who is on Liverpool's radar.

Meanwhile, Garnacho joins Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo as academy products facing uncertain futures.

Rashford is yet to play since revealing he is ready for a "new challenge" in December.

And as the winter window draws to its cliamx, still no developments have been made for a move.

That is despite his reps meeting with AC Milan in Italy and others like Borussia Dortmund remaining linked.

But Mainoo has also attracted attention from Chelsea, as well as Bayern, amid reports he has not extended his contract- set to expire in 2027 - as of yet.