Man Utd star ‘wants’ to join Real Madrid or Barcelona as club insider offers theory

Garnacho, who has been a standout performer for United in recent seasons, found the net during Sunday’s victory over Leicester City.

However, tensions with sections of the club’s fanbase seem to persist, as he opted not to celebrate his goal against the Foxes.

The Argentine winger extended his contract with United in April 2023, committing to the club until 2028. Despite this, former United academy head Nicky Butt believes Garnacho may soon seek a new chapter in Spain, potentially with Madrid or Barca.

Butt suggested that the allure of La Liga’s elite clubs could be seen by Garnacho as a step up in his career.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world but all the best players always leave and go to Spain, go to Real Madrid or Barcelona. If you look at all the superstars, they never stay in the Premier League,” Butt told the Football ’s Greatest podcast.

“They stay until they need to go to the next level. A lot of the players see the next level as being Real Madrid or Barca but we don’t see anywhere bigger than Man United. Our mentality is if you leave Man United you’re going down.

“You don’t get appreciated here like you do at Madrid. You can guarantee Kylian Mbappe will be in the running for the Ballon d’Or next year because he’s at Real Madrid. It’s like Garnacho, he’s doing well here now.

“He’s a young Argentinian boy. If he keeps going, you can imagine him wanting to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona. Players become superstars there, not only on the football pitch.”

Butt’s tip comes after Roy Keane blasted Garnacho for failing to celebrate against Leicester. The Irishman said he should get another job if he again refuses to celebrate a goal.

“If you can’t celebrate a goal, there is something drastically wrong with this game. Whatever has gone on off the pitch for any player – it could be family stuff – you work all week, you’re playing the game to score a goal,” Keane told the Stick to Football podcast.

“When you score a goal, there should be nothing else on your mind. You’ve got fans who have travelled, paid fortunes to get there, and he’s [ Garnacho] on about people having a go at him.

“People make sacrifices to travel to watch Manchester United, he scores a brilliant goal, they are having a tough time – and if a younger player can’t enjoy scoring a goal for Man United, then get a job somewhere else.”