Chelsea ready to consider shock Alejandro Garnacho exit

April 9, 2026 Oliver Obel

River Plate are considering an unexpected move for Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, with reports in Argentina suggesting initial contact has already been made over a potential loan deal.

According to TyC Sports journalist Gonzalo Carol, the Buenos Aires club are weighing up an approach to bring the 21-year-old in on a one-year agreement. The report, cited by Sport Witness, claims River manager Eduardo Coudet has reached out to Garnacho as part of early discussions.

The development raises fresh questions about Garnacho’s role at Chelsea less than a year after his £40 million transfer from Manchester United.

While the Argentina international has contributed eight goals and five assists across all competitions, his first season at Stamford Bridge has been uneven. Moments of attacking quality including a recent goal in a 7-0 FA Cup win over Port Vale have been offset by inconsistency, something that has drawn scrutiny from supporters.

Journalist Simon Phillips has reported that Chelsea would be open to offers in the region of the fee they paid last summer, suggesting the club are not ruling out a quick turnaround on the winger.

A temporary move could present an alternative solution. However, any loan to River Plate would come with financial hurdles. Garnacho is believed to earn around £110,000 per week, according to data from Capology, a figure far beyond the Argentine club’s typical wage structure. That means Chelsea would likely need to subsidise the majority of his salary for any deal to be viable.

Such a switch would also mark a significant personal milestone. Despite representing Argentina internationally, Garnacho has spent his entire club career in Europe, progressing through Atletico Madrid’s academy before his move to Manchester United.

There is also a cultural wrinkle to any deal: Garnacho has previously indicated support for Boca Juniors, River Plate’s fiercest rivals, which could complicate the optics of a move.

Phillips has described the interest from River as “genuine”, indicating that talks could develop further ahead of the summer transfer window. If an agreement is reached, it would represent one of the more unusual moves involving a Premier League player in recent windows.

For Chelsea, the situation reflects a broader decision point whether to continue investing in Garnacho’s development in-house or allow him to gain experience elsewhere as he looks to establish himself more consistently at club level while remaining part of Argentina’s national team setup.

Sources: TyC Sports, Sport Witness, Simon Phillips, Capology