Ruben Amorim insists that Alejandro Garnacho and the rest of his ‘bomb squad’ players don’t want to be at Manchester United any longer and it would be better to find them new clubs before the transfer window closes.
Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia have been training away from the first-team group since reporting for pre-season last month and were left off the tour of the US. Marcus Rashford was the fifth member of the group of outcasts but has now joined Barcelona on loan for the season.
Amorim is hopeful of finding new homes for the other four which would also help to raise money for new signings before the window shuts at the start of next month.
Garnacho has interest from Chelsea and Aston Villa, Sancho has been in talks with Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, Antony is wanted back by Real Betis and has been linked with Al-Nassr, and Malacia also has admirers in the Middle East.
‘I think it’s like we just need to follow the markets,’ said Amorim. ‘So the market is open. There are players that clearly show they don’t want to be here and that is normal. They are not bad and I’m good. I’m not bad and they are good.
‘It’s a simple situation that they want new challenges. So we will try to use this space to prepare the team that I think is going to be here.
Alejandro Garnacho and Antony are among the members of Man United’s current bomb squad
Tyrell Malacia (far left) and Jadon Sancho (second right) have also been told to leave the club
Marcus Rashford has joined Barcelona on a season-long loan deal after falling out of favour
‘If the market closes and then they are Manchester United players, we as a club have to treat them in the same conditions. But in this moment I’m just working with the players that I think are going to stay and the other guys are trying to find a solution for their careers.’
Amorim told Garnacho to ‘pray’ to find a new club this summer after the young Argentina winger criticised the decision to start him on the bench for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in May.
Amorim added: ‘I think Garnacho, you can understand and you can see he’s a really talented boy and sometimes things don’t work out. You cannot explain specifically what it is.
‘But I have the feeling, I think it’s clear that Garnacho wants a different thing with a different leadership and I can understand that. So I think it’s not a problem.
‘Sometimes you adapt to one guy, you have the connection. Other times, you want a new challenge so we try to make everything okay to all the parts. To the club, to the coach and to the players. It’s a natural thing in football.’
Amorim insists he is happy to work with a smaller squad as United embark on a season without European football for only the second time in 35 years.
‘I’m really happy with the team,’ he said. ‘Without European competitions, I want a small squad so everyone feels really important.
‘If you have a lot of players, you have one week to prepare and a lot of players are going to be out, and then in training they will be frustrated and then the quality of the training will drop.’