Chelsea ready to SELL Garnacho less than a year after his £40m move

Chelsea are ready to sell Alejandro Garnacho after a single season with the 22-year-old Argentinian not seen since the club's other players returned for pre-season training.

Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and the other non-World Cup call-ups reported back at Cobham on Thursday morning to run through their fitness tests and begin working with new manager Xabi Alonso on the pitch.

Garnacho is not believed to have been involved in those first sessions held with Alonso. Chelsea did not comment when asked why, such as if injury-related or otherwise.

However, other sources have confirmed that the Stamford Bridge side are open to moving on the player they signed for £40million from Manchester United last summer – but they have also let it known that they are prioritising a permanent sale to a loan with strings attached.

Despite an underwhelming campaign for Chelsea, Garnacho could still be a target for clubs in this window due to an apparent demand for wingers.

Serie A club Roma are among those to have already been linked. As of earlier this week, no club-to-club talks had yet opened regarding Garnacho.

Alonso is scheduled to stage an unveiling press conference on Monday, and may be asked on Garnacho's situation while also answering questions on other players' futures.

The 44-year-old Spaniard has been handed the title of 'manager' over 'head coach' – unlike his predecessors under BlueCo – due to the say he is being allowed in Chelsea's ins and outs alongside the leadership team.

From Garnacho's side, he is believed to have been left disappointed by a lack of opportunities towards the end of the 2025-26 season. He started only one of their last 12 fixtures – in their 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds United at Wembley Stadium.

Chelsea fans never truly warmed to the left winger. He was an unused substitute in their season finale away at Sunderland when the visitors needed only to avoid losing to secure some form of European football.

A 2-1 defeat at the Stadium of Light means Alonso is now set for a first season in charge of Chelsea minus midweek matches in Europe.

Other unused subs that day against Sunderland included Jesse Derry, the 19-year-old academy talent who is joining Sporting CP on loan, and Andrey Santos, the 22-year-old Brazilian who is being sold to Manchester United for a package worth £50m. For Chelsea, that is £48m plus £2m in add-ons, along with a 10 per cent sell-on fee.