Opinion: Why Garnacho should be on PFA shortlist

Garnacho, who will only turn 20 on the first day of July, scored his eighth and ninth goals of the campaign at Stamford Bridge on Thursday, in United’s heartstopping and then heartbreaking 4-3 defeat to the hosts.

The winger also has four assists to his name, including the pass to enable Amad’s last-gasp Emirates FA Cup winner against Sunday’s opponents, Liverpool, three weeks ago.

Alejandro is the Premier League’s most productive teenager in 2023/24 and should surely be among the nominees for the PFA Young Player of the Year award when the shortlist is announced.

The award’s parameters have been redefined in recent years and it is now open only to those who were aged 21 or under on 1 July 2023. With the Premier League currently at something of a youthful and attacking zenith, there will be a number of outstanding candidates for the voting players to choose from.

Last year's winner Bukayo Saka still qualifies, as does Chelsea’s 16-goal midfielder Cole Palmer and United’s leading scorer, Rasmus Hojlund.

However, Garnacho is doing it at a younger age than all of them and he’s performing well on a regular basis in a team that has been decimated by injury for most of the season.

Over 50 players have been granted top-flight minutes this term before their 20th birthday, including Garnacho’s United team-mates Omari Forson, Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala and Kobbie Mainoo.

But none can match Garnacho’s 10 goal involvements in the division, consisting of seven goals and three assists, and his 1,910 league minutes are by far and away the most among that sub-section of players.

If you take penalties out of the equation and keep it to open-play goals, Garnacho is just two off Saka and one behind Palmer, who would probably be the runaway favourite for the award were it given out today.

Alejandro's record is actually favourable when compared with some of our past prodigies who have the prize displayed on their mantelpiece too, as Ryan Giggs managed nine league goals in 1992/93 and David Beckham struck eight when winning four seasons later.

There is still almost a quarter of the term left to play out, but Garnacho has also become the first teenager since Michael Owen in 1998/99 to score 2+ goals in three Premier League games during the same campaign. 

As opposed to last season, when the young tyro’s most eventful minutes came as a substitute, he has now established himself as one of the most consistent names on Erik ten Hag’s teamsheet.

Indeed, he’s started each of the Reds’ last 28 games across all competitions and Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes are the only United outfielders who can match his 40 appearances thus far.

Ten Hag is delighted with how our no.17 has adapted and reacted to the challenge of being one of his side’s primary attackers this season, even though he does think Garnacho can still add to his game to make it more rounded.

“His progress is fantastic, no doubt, but there are many challenges still for him, where he has to improve,” said Ten Hag, after the Chelsea game.

“For instance in defending, he can do things a lot more better, but nevertheless, the progress he made, the impact he has on our game, is fantastic.”

No one can deny that, overall, it has been a disappointing campaign for United after the highs experienced during Ten Hag’s first 12 months in charge.

With six weeks left to go though, Garnacho can hold his head up for playing his part and, less than two years on from his involvement in the 2022 FA Youth Cup win, he has plenty to look forward to.

A couple more appearances at Wembley (hopefully) should be right at the top of that list, followed by a first senior tournament with Argentina at this summer’s Copa America.

But, for me, Garnacho deserves some recognition when the PFA releases its award shortlists, even if he may not necessarily be most people’s frontrunner for the youth prize.

The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.