Manchester United are open to letting midfielder James Garner leave on a permanent deal for a fee of around £14 million, according to Laurie Whitwell. This is a shocking decision from the Red Devils and has left fans furious, with one saying that it had already “ruined” their Monday.
Manchester United Open to Permanent Sale of James Garner in Shock Transfer Decision
#MUFC are open to permanent offers for James Garner. Player well liked but Erik ten Hag would sanction transfer if suitable bid arrives, told circa £14m.
Several PL clubs interested.
Personally would prefer to see him loaned at most. Only 21.https://t.co/1tUdRxnNB3
— Laurie Whitwell (@lauriewhitwell) August 15, 2022
James Garner Has Made Only Seven First-Team Appearances but Has Looked Promising on Loan Spells
Garner has been a United player since he joined the club at eight years old. He has spent time on loan at two clubs since graduating from the academy; Watford for half a season and Nottingham Forest for one and a half.
For Forest, Garner played a key role in their impressive promotion campaign that saw them return to the top flight for the first time since being relegated in 1999. Throughout his spell in Nottingham last season, he played 44 Championship games, scoring four goals and assisting eight. He quickly became a fan favourite amongst the Forest faithful as he showed relentless effort on the pitch and on their journey to the playoff final.
Garner Is Keen to Fight for Starting Spot
Having been a United player since 2009, the 21-year-old was keen to fight for his place in the team. In a pre-season interview with the PA news agency, he said: “For me now because I’ve played two seasons back-to-back, where I’ve been playing games non-stop, I don’t really want to stop that.
“I want to play week in, week out. That is of course what I want to do.”
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The youngster reiterated his desire to remain with his boyhood club but acknowledged the possibility that a loan move may be a more suitable option. He added: “I want to play for United. Of course, that’s obviously my aim.
“But I feel like if I’m not going to be playing as regularly as I would like to then I’m definitely open to going back on loan to a Premier League side.”
A Move Within the Premier League Appears Likely
Erik ten Hag has decided that should a suitable bid come in, he will oversee the departure of the academy graduate. The England U21 international has garnered interest from fellow Premier League clubs; Everton, Southampton, Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur have all shown interest in the midfielder.
Steve Cooper would also be keen to bring Garner back to the City Ground, however, the club have made several new signings so it’s unlikely they would need another arrival in his position.
Read more: Every Premier League Transfer Completed in Summer 2022
United fans have reacted furiously to the news as many feel as though he has not been given enough chances to prove himself in the first team. The squad are also considerably light in midfield, meaning selling another player could cause more depth issues further into the season.
In a few years time, the topic of selling James Garner will be included in the conversation of the many mistakes made by Manchester United over the last decade
I’m absolutely certain of it. pic.twitter.com/0O1IjqbSKK
— Frank 🧠🇳🇱 (@TenHagEra) August 15, 2022
