Alejandro Garnacho’s effort against Barnsley earned him a man of the match honours, and it is now inevitable that he leads Manchester United.
He demonstrated his whole game with two goals and two assists, even if it was against a lower-league team. As of six games this season, he has contributed seven goals. Although the Argentine media has been completely taken aback by Garnacho’s performance, the 20-year-old still feels that the No. 7 is avoiding him.
Upon Mason Mount’s £55 million arrival at Old Trafford, he was given the No. 7 shirt; at the time, this choice caused some controversy. Before it was finally determined that Garnacho was probably not ready in any case, concerns regarding Mount were voiced.
But Garnacho’s disappointment at seeing his hopes of becoming the next Manchester United No. 7 fade won’t have lessened because of this. However, he now looks the part and could fill that renowned shirt, just over a year later.
Few people at United have accomplished this in the previous 20 years.
At No. 7, Alejandro Garnacho is earning
Wearing Manchester United’s No. 7 is a tough decision because it is maybe the most iconic shirt in all of football. As a result, many well-known players have suffered from it.
Mount joins the ranks of players who never fully clicked with the No. 7 jersey, like Michael Owen, Alexis Sanchez, Memphis Depay, Angel Di Maria, Antonio Valencia, and Michael Owen. Valencia went on to become a strong club captain without the No. 7 jersey.
Only Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani have merited the shirt since the latter two joined the team in 2003.
But Garnacho thinks he can be the next David Beckham, Eric Cantona, or Cristiano Ronaldo for the Red Devils, and the way he has begun this season suggests he is deserving of the number rather than having it assigned to him.
Garnacho exudes the persona of a United No. 7; he is self-assured and secure in his skills, which is a necessary quality for a player to have when wearing such a legendary number.
Unlike many other players at United, Garnacho has earned the number by working hard for it rather than being given it without merit. If his 2024–25 season plays out as it did in the beginning, United may have to make a choice.
Manchester United could have to make a choice.
His ultimate goal will still be to emulate his idol and wear the No. 7 jersey, even with Garnacho looking amazing in the No. 17 jersey.
All of this is taking place while Mount continues to suffer from injuries; thus far, he has only made 23 appearances, scoring once and providing an assist.
Given that pressure would be reduced, it is interesting to consider if Mount, an outstanding player, would perform much better without the No. 7 jersey. Well, if this season goes on like it has started, Ineos may be considering this by June of next year.
The No. 7 is quite marketable, even when there aren’t any on-field factors at play, and United are probably losing out on this player who hasn’t done anything to stand out in his brief tenure.
Garnacho is an academy graduate who has improved steadily over the past three seasons to the point where Erik ten Hag can count on him to start. Therefore, taking away Mount’s number might be advantageous for the players as well as the team; perhaps Mount will experience a remontada akin to Valencia’s.