Alejandro Garnacho backed by Juan Sebastian Veron to shine at Manchester United

Former Manchester United player Juan Sebastian Veron has backed young winger Alejandro Garnacho to become a superstar at the club.

Garnacho was signed by the Red Devils from the youth side of Atletico Madrid back in 2020. Although he made his senior debut for the club in 2021/22, most of his appearances came during the 2022/23 campaign.

The Argentina international played 34 games in all competitions last season, scoring five goals and assisting five. He has been a go-to player for Erik ten Hag when there was a need for something different in the final third off the bench.

Here’s what Veron said when asked about Garnacho and what he could become (h/t Gambling Zone, via Manchester Evening News):

“I spoke to Javier Mascherano and he fully expects him to become a star. Playing for Manchester United at that age is not easy, but I think he has to have patience.

“He needs to work really hard, because he has the chance to become a regular player for a really big player.

“I really trust Mascherano’s words, so for him to say he is the best young talent in Argentina is a really big compliment – but it just shows his undoubted quality and he is someone who I am sure has a big future.”

We might see a bit more of the 18-year-old next season in terms of getting more starts rather than appearances from the bench.

For example, in the FA Cup final, Jadon Sancho had an underwhelming game that encapsulated his time at United so far. Ten Hag turned to Garnacho and the young Argentine caused plenty of problems for the Manchester City defenders.

While it is all good doing it against slightly tired defenders, the challenge for the 18-year-old would be to start games and stamp his authority on them.

The coming pre-season would be important for Garnacho with regards to staking a great claim in the side for starting more games. He has the talent, but as Veron said, the need for working hard is there to become an important player for Manchester United.

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To be fair, the Argentine is under the right manager in ten Hag. The Dutchman is one of the best when it comes to developing young players and making them better in due course of time.