Ruben Amorim was asked about a potential sale of Alejandro Garnacho this month and the importance of being able to reinvest the funds, if a transfer was given the green light.

"Guys, I understand the question, but let's focus on the game, I don't want to talk about that, especially before a game," said Amorim. "Our focus is on the players that are here to play, we need to improve and win games to have that feeling of winning, so let's focus on that today."

Amorim spoke at a press conference on Wednesday before Manchester United's game against Rangers and didn't want to be to be dragged into a conversation about Garnacho's future.

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It will be the one-year anniversary of Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Rasmus Hojlund perching themselves on the Stretford End electronic board in the first week of February and each of those young players were considered indispensable when that brilliant photo was captured.

The landscape has changed in just 11 months. United no longer deem any player unsellable due to Profit and Sustainability (PSR) constraints and there is interest in Garnacho and Mainoo, while the goals have dried up for Hojlund and he seems worth half of the transfer fee he commanded.

United aren't in the position of being forced to sell Garnacho or Mainoo, who are both huge assets as academy graduates represent pure profit in the ludicrous PSR world, but it's understood they would consider bids if large sums were put on the negotiating table by interested suitors.

Mainoo was linked to Chelsea at the start of the month due to talks over his new contract stalling and there seems to be momentum building behind Napoli's interest in Garnacho.

Napoli have just sold the talented Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris Saint-Germain for a reported €60million (£50m), with a further €10m (£8.4m) in add-ons, and have identified Garnacho as a possible replacement, although their initial bid of around £40m for the winger was rejected.

United should be holding out for at least £60m for Garnacho before any offer is considered, given his status as one of the world's most promising young players and his potential to improve.

Garnacho was United's top goalscorer until Amad scored a hat-trick against Southampton and yet his tally for this season should be even more impressive, as he's often been wasteful.

That just highlights how Garnacho's ceiling is far from being reached. He still has huge progress to make, in all different areas of his game, which is the norm for any 20-year-old player, and United fans would be disappointed to see one of their own academy products leave for Napoli.

United should be desperate to keep the academy graduates who have established themselves in the first-team because that is the club's philosophy - there is a rich history of trust in youth.

Having said that, Garnacho is a sellable asset in a squad described by Amorim as "maybe the worst" in the club's history and it would be more logical to sell him than Mainoo.

In an ideal world, United will keep both players for years to come, but there are lingering doubts over Garnacho's suitability to Amorim's system, which doesn't accommodate natural wingers, because Garnacho isn't seen to best effect as one of the No.10s or at left wing-back.

Mainoo, on the other hand, possesses the attributes to excel in the formation's midfield pairing and building a better team around the Stockport-born lad and Manuel Ugarte would help.

If you remove the red-tinted glasses, there would be merit in selling Garnacho, although would fans trust United to reinvest those funds properly? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

United have been a laughing stock in the transfer market for over a decade and their horrendous track record suggests they would replace Garnacho with a player below his calibre.

That itself might be enough to argue it's the best option to keep Garnacho, but nobody will be surprised if Ineos sanction a transfer and cash in on a player with high market value.