We caught up with former United defender Paul Parker to discuss the headline departure of Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea for £40m, the winger’s behaviour in the build-up to leaving, and United’s controversial decision to part ways with David de Gea a few seasons ago.
The transfer window has finally slammed shut and it’s been another chaotic one for Manchester United. United began the summer determined to offload their so-called “bomb squad” while also trying to rejuvenate a side that limped to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League.
Garnacho Has Stuck Two Fingers Up at United
After a drawn-out summer, 21-year-old Garnacho finally sealed his move to Stamford Bridge, signing a contract through to 2032, but the exit was messy. The turning point came during the Europa League final, where Garnacho reacted furiously to being left on the bench. He was then excluded from United’s squad for the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on the final day of the season and dumped into Amorim’s bomb squad for the 2025/26 campaign. Parker was blunt in his assessment of Garnacho’s behaviour.
“His conduct on and off the pitch was disrespectful. All he wanted to do was score a goal or have a near miss so he could act like Ronaldo. Now he’s gone to a club where there’s a lot more ego. He will alienate himself or it’ll be a battle there.”
“United fans backed him when he was going through things both on and off the field. His brother was tweeting things and they backed him and he said nothing. He’s stuck two fingers up at the club that nursed him.”
Parker also cast doubt on Garnacho’s future at Chelsea, even questioning the merit of his FIFA Puskás Award-winning overhead kick against Everton in 2024.
“I wonder how he gets into the Chelsea team. Does he start in a Champions League game or a big game against Arsenal or Liverpool? No. He’s not got great pace, he hasn’t got the technical ability to beat players unless they dive in. Chelsea are just overloading. They’ve given into the supermarket with one trolley and ended up needing two. I wonder how much football he gets there. He will have to take an incredible jump to do well there.”
“It’s so disappointing that a young boy can behave like that. He’s living off a goal against Everton which came off his shin.”
United’s Decision to Let de Gea Go “Disgusting“
If Garnacho’s departure split opinion, United’s goalkeeper situation has been nothing short of a fiasco. David de Gea was released in 2023 amid claims he couldn’t play out from the back, with André Onana brought in to replace him. But under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim, Onana’s mistakes have been costly, while back-up Altay Bayındır has fared little better and Parker did not mince his words.
“It’s disgusting that United let David de Gea go. The reason de Gea left is because ten Hag came in and brought in Onana from his old club and ironically his son is the agent of that player. It was a strange one. Everyone wanted keepers that were good with their feet including United. They spoke about what he couldn’t do but everyone knows what he could and can do. United are missing him now. He was the best keeper in the league for quite a few seasons. He made incredible saves and got rid of him when he was still at a top level.”
United have since moved to address the issue with the £21.7m signing of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, who has penned a five-year contract. Parker believes it’s the right step after United’s missteps with Onana and Bayındır.
“United brought in Onana but didn’t have the personnel to play out from the back. They weren’t equipped for it. Onana is good with his hands, his decision making is poor and his goalkeeping technique is poor. United have gone backwards. United have two goalkeepers in Onana and Bayindir who should be Dracula because they can’t deal with crosses. It’s a big, big problem.”
