Chelsea are plotting an opening bid for Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho. The 20-year-old has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford after enduring a difficult start to life under Ruben Amorim.

In fact, Garnacho has scored just once and added one assist in 14 appearances since Amorim became their new permanent head coach. And with United willing to listen to offers for every player, including academy graduates, the Argentine's long-term future in Manchester has grown uncertain.

Napoli are expected to be priced out of a move for Garnacho after their latest £42million bid was rejected. It's reported that Antonio Conte's side are pursuing alternatives, with Borussia Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi eyed.

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And now, Chelsea have entered the race to sign the former Atletico Madrid youngster. According to The Telegraph, the Blues are preparing their first offer, as Enzo Maresca tries to strengthen his squad this month.

It's added that United, however, are ready to play hardball over the future of Garnacho, who they value at more than £50m. Amorim's men are also insistent that they will not consider offers involving players they do not want moving in the opposite direction. Joao Felix and Ben Chilwell are among those that have been tipped to make the switch from west London to Manchester, as both players search for regular game time.

As for Garnacho, MEN understands that he is not actively pursuing a move away from United despite mounting uncertainty over his future. He has been at United since October 2020 and has since scored 23 goals in 118 appearances after making his first-team debut in April 2022 under Ralf Rangnick.

When asked about interest in Garnacho from Napoli and Chelsea, Amorim shut down speculation in his pre-Rangers press conference. "As I understand the question, let's focus on the game," Amorim said.

"I don't want to talk about that, especially before a game. Our focus is that our players are here to play, we need to improve, we need to win games to have that feeling of winning, it's really important for us so let’s focus on that."