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Cristiano Ronaldo has warned Alejandro Garnacho that the Italian top-flight is the ‘most difficult league for forwards’. The 20-year-old winger has recently emerged as a potential target for Napoli, who are looking to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Garnacho, who sees his contract at Old Trafford expire in June 2028, has featured 19 times for Manchester United in the Premier League this season, scoring three goals and providing one assist. Despite a shy return in the final third, the Argentina international has managed to attract interest from overseas.
According to SportItalia, Antonio Conte has identified Garnacho as a possible replacement for Kvaratskhelia, who’s closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain. The report states that Napoli made an offer worth £38m for the youngster, but their bid fell short of United’s valuation.
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It’s said that Ruben Amorim’s side want £60m for Garnacho. The Argentine’s sale would go down as pure profit on the books, having earned his stripes in the United academy – and this would be a huge for United as they look to comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not Garnacho would be keen on a move to the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. Interestingly, Ronaldo has previously branded the Serie A as the ‘most difficult league for forwards’ – which could have some bearing on the winger’s decision.
Speaking to DAZN in December 2019, the former Juventus striker revealed that he was surprised by the widespread quality. As quoted by BeinSports, Ronaldo said: “I’ve adapted to the Italian league and it’s a difficult league – the most difficult one for all forwards.
“It’s the most difficult league for me, it’s full of quality players. I didn’t expect this much quality in the Italian league, they’re very good,” he added. “It’s harder to score in the Italian league than in the Spanish league.
“The Spanish league is more open, the teams risk more. Here, not so much. Here, the team’s priority is to defend first, and then to attack. That’s not true for Spain. Spanish games are more open.
“The English league, where I played for five years [with Manchester United], is the same. It’s harder to score in the Italian league, in my opinion.”