Alejandro Garnacho's retort at Old Trafford and 'fan push' as he reaches new Man Utd low

Manchester United supporters made their feelings towards Alejandro Garnacho crystal clear as he made his return to Old Trafford in Chelsea colours. Despite remaining unused as a substitute as his new team suffered a 2-1 defeat, United fans seized every chance to voice their displeasure at the Argentine, who departed for £40million in the summer.

Garnacho faced a chorus of boos and jeers as he disembarked from the Chelsea team coach and throughout the pre-match preparations. The hostile reception was hardly surprising, given the persistent doubts surrounding his commitment during his stint at United. Following the heartbreaking Europa League final loss to Tottenham, he further damaged his reputation with a scathing critique of the club's campaign, branding it "s***" and expressing frustration at being left out of the starting XI. By that stage, Garnacho's relationship with Amorim had already deteriorated significantly, with the club keen to sell him when the transfer window opened.

The situation represented a sad turn of events, considering how much promise United once saw in him. He was formerly regarded as one of the club's emerging stars, but a string of issues and conflicts damaged his standing with both the club and supporters beyond repair...

Goaded outside Old Trafford

Garnacho once responded to a supporter with a sharp five-word retort after being confronted outside Old Trafford. While signing autographs and posing for pictures before a Europa League clash against PAOK last November, one outspoken individual decided to offer the winger some advice.

They declared: "Garnacho, you've got to pass better today, yeah, please? Pass better, score a goal and work on your first touch as well, yeah?" Maintaining his composure, Garnacho responded: "Why you not playing, man?" before heading towards the changing rooms.

Another altercation with a fan

After his Europa League final outburst, Garnacho managed to court further controversy before his switch to Chelsea. He accompanied United on their post-season Asian tour, where he was filmed allegedly shoving a fan while in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur.

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The clip, initially shared on TikTok, shows Garnacho sporting sunglasses and a gold necklace, dismissing the supporter who questioned whether he preferred Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo.

"Bro, you pushed me," the fan subsequently alleged as Garnacho departed the scene. The footage doesn't clearly show whether Garnacho actually pushed the person, but it highlighted how his rapport with supporters had soured during his final days at United.

Wearing Rashford's Villa shirt

In June, Garnacho further angered supporters by wearing an Aston Villa jersey bearing 'Rashford 9' on the back in tribute to his fellow United 'bomb squad' member.

Garnacho, who was still a United player at that point, chose to share the image on his Instagram account. Rashford, before his loan switch to Barcelona, responded with "My brother" on the post alongside a love heart emoji.

However, it failed to impress United fans, who had grown weary of his behaviour and apparent disrespect towards his employers. Both players eventually secured their desired departures during the summer transfer window, although Rashford perhaps retains greater affection from United fans due to his considerably longer association with the club.

'AI' farewell message

Garnacho misjudged the atmosphere as he composed his goodbye message to United. He penned: "After an unforgettable five years, this special chapter in my life now comes to a close. We have created moments that will stay with me forever, and I'm very grateful for this. To the coaches, staff, and my team-mates, thank you for believing in me.

"Every time I wore the badge, I gave everything I had. I leave proud of what we achieved together and excited for what's to come. Wishing the club nothing but success for the future, while I look forward to giving my all in the next chapter of my career."

The goodwill was not returned by fans, with some harshly accusing him of using AI to pen the message. One fan bluntly stated: "Betrayal." Another added: "Will miss the player. Not the attitude."

A third suggested: "AI wrote this." A fourth advised: "All the best, young man. Stop being arrogant, play football [and] you will hit your potential."