Napoli sporting director Giovanni Manna has claimed that Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho's contract demands prevented them from completing a move for the Chelsea target in January.

Garnacho was firmly on the radar of both Chelsea and Napoli during the winter window after it became apparent that United were willing to sell academy talent to accomodate moves of their own. The Serie A club submitted a £40m bid for the Argentine in January which our colleagues at the Manchester Evening News understands was rejected.

However, in quotes published by journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manna insists that personal terms between Napoli and Garnacho were the sticking point. "We made an important bid to Manchester United for Garnacho," he explained.

READ MORE: Jadon Sancho facing cold reality as Chelsea ‘take action’ straight after transfer window

READ MORE: Chelsea transfer hijack as double summer opportunity emerges

"We really wanted him. We weren’t able to agree on personal terms with Alejandro, he requested an important salary to leave in January and we must respect our players."

The understanding regarding an 'important salary' is that Garnacho's wage demands were thought to be too high for Napoli to accomodate. While you would imagine that Chelsea have more money available to spend on player wages, Enzo Maresca and the Blues' boardroom will be reluctant to allow the winger a blank chequebook to gain the wages he wants.

Ultimately, a move for Garnacho did not transpire in January but there is no ruling out whether Chelsea would return for the winger in the summer. They did not add to their left flank this winter so a move cannot be disregarded for Garnacho but Chelsea have been warned about what it could take to make that deal a reality.