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Manchester United and Chelsea are considering a swap deal involving Lionel Messi's teammate Alejandro Garnacho and Christopher Nkunku, according to journalist Florian Plettenberg. The French forward is no longer part of the Blues' plans and will reportedly be allowed to leave this year.
Nkunku arrived at Stamford Bridge from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 in a reported £52m deal. However, the 27-year-old missed almost the entire campaign with injury, registering just three goals from 14 games.
Nkunku has struggled to break into Enzo Maresca's plans this season and is no longer indispensable for Chelsea. The player, however, has still managed 13 goals and four assists from 28 games across competitions this season.
Meanwhile, Alejandro Garnacho has also dropped down the pecking order at Manchester United this season. The 20-year-old, who has shared the pitch twice with Lionel Messi for the national team, is no longer a guaranteed starter under Ruben Amorim.
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Garnacho, however, has still registered eight goals and five assists from 33 games for the Red Devils this season. However, Manchester United are apparently open to his exit, perhaps because his departure could be registered as pure profit in their books.
Napoli and Chelsea both have their eyes on the Argentinean at the moment. A swap deal for Garnacho and Nkunku could work for the Red Devils as well as the Blues. However, Plettenberg adds that a final decision is yet to be taken on the matter.
How many goals has Lionel Messi scored against Chelsea and Manchester United?
Lionel Messi has faced Chelsea and Manchester United multiple times in his career during his time at Barcelona. The Argentinean first locked horns with the Blues in the Champions League Round of 16 in the 2005-06 campaign.
La Pulga went on to face the London giants 10 times in his career, winning two and losing two. Lionel Messi has scored three goals and set up three more against Chelsea to date.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also faced Manchester United six times with Barcelona, all in the Champions League. He won four games and lost just once against the Red Devils, scoring four goals.
La Pulga famously won two finals against the Premier League giants, in the 2008-09 campaign and in the 2010-11 season. The Argentinean left Barcelona in the summer of 2021 as a free agent to join Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). After two seasons in France, he moved to Inter Miami as a free agent in 2023.
