3 months ago
18
MANCHESTER UNITED academy chief Nick Cox said his bickering sons nearly scuppered the deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho in 2020.
The 19-year-old put on a stellar performance against West Ham on Sunday after scoring twice at Old Trafford.
GettyIn October 2020, Garnacho joined the Red Devils Academy from Atletico Madrid.
United paid Atletico a £420,000 fee which led to the Argentine signing his first professional contract at Old Trafford in July 2021.
While the winger is becoming one of Erik ten Hag‘s golden boys his life could have been very different had Cox’s son’s not been able to keep their cool.
Cox told Manutd.com: “It became my job to present to Alejandro, his agent, his family, why this would be a wonderful opportunity.
“My boys at the time would have been 14 and 10, and I remember vividly that they were arguing with each other while I was trying to sign Alejandro.
“I still tell my boys now, had that argument rumbled on much longer, then we probably wouldn’t have Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United!”
Garnacho has wowed fans at United this term after scoring his first goal of the season with an extraordinary bicycle kick against Everton.
And from day one the Red Devil’s academy knew the teen sensation would go on to do great things.
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Cox continued: “We said we were looking for a wide player, 16 years old, with certain qualities and a certain type of temperament.
“So our recruitment team profiled all the wide players of that age across Europe.
“Comparing the talents and trying to identify which talent would be the one who would be the best fit for the way that we play and the best fit for us as a football club.
“Alejandro would have been at the top of that list.”
Now just over three years down the line, the youngster has scored 12 goals in 67 appearances for the club.
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