Manchester United have offloaded only one of their five unwanted players this summer.
Man United claimed earlier that Marcus Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho had requested to leave the club.
Rashford has since sealed a high-profile loan move to Barcelona, but the Red Devils are still looking to find permanent takers for the remaining quartet.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea are holding tight on Garnacho, offering trades on players they no longer need, including Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku.
Nkunku does not fit their style of play, and the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro have cast big doubts over Jackson’s future.
United must remain adamant about their valuation
The Old Trafford outfit value Garnacho at around £70 million but may be tempted to settle for less, especially given his reportedly strained relationship with manager Ruben Amorim.
Chelsea recently offloaded Joao Felix to Al-Nassr for a fee potentially rising to £43.7m, despite the Portuguese international failing to shine in blue.
By contrast, Garnacho is a far more exciting asset and already boasts nearly 100 Premier League appearances at just 21 years old.
He is viewed as a future superstar with blistering pace and sharp dribbling.
There has been interest from Italy in Garnacho, but he prefers to stay in England.
Chelsea could be his next realistic destination but the London outfit have yet to make any concrete offers.
They could be waiting to pounce if United lower their demands later in the window.
Swapping Garnacho for Jackson or Nkunku would be poor business for the Red Devils.
Sesko and Watkins are two better alternatives for the number nine spot.
Nkunku is an ideal player for the second striker role but United have already signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo this summer.
United must remain resolute and avoid being bullied into a cut-price deal, even if Chelsea come knocking late in August.
The club’s track record in selling players has been woeful, but this summer offers INEOS a real chance to draw a line in the sand and set a new standard.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
