Aheed Abrar
Southampton leading race for Manchester United academy graduate James Garner
Southampton are leading the race for Manchester United youngster James Garner, according to Manchester Evening News. The Red Devils value the 21-year-old between £15 million and £20 million.
The England U21 international has garnered interest from other Premier League clubs. Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also have an eye on Garner. Nottingham Forest, where the 21-year-old spent time on loan, also want to sign the United academy graduate.
Garner has featured just seven times for the Manchester-based club. The midfielder hasn’t been given enough of an opportunity at Old Trafford. And now it seems United are willing to part ways with the promising talent.
Having returned to Erik ten Hag’s squad for the pre-season, the 21-year-old was hardly given any minutes. Considering the issues in the middle of the park at the Manchester-based club, fans have wondered why Garner hasn’t been given an opportunity.
In the Championship, the 21-year-old was a vital part of the Forest side. The youngster joined the Tricky Trees on loan in the winter window of the 2020/21 campaign. Garner spent one-and-a-half seasons at the West Bridgford side.
In his stint with Forest, the England U21 international featured 69 times, scoring eight goals and providing 10 assists. Garner played in the defensive midfield role most often, but he was also deployed in the number eight and number 10 roles.
United supporters expected the 21-year-old to play a part in the 2022/23 campaign for the Red Devils. With the number of departures from the club this summer, the depth in the midfield has weakened.
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The likes of Fred and Scott McTominay had bad performances in the first two games of the new season. United have failed to sign a midfielder apart from Christian Eriksen this summer. It’s surprising that Ten Hag hasn’t trusted Garner more.
