Erik ten Hag Tried to Sign Garnacho for Leverkusen

Erik ten Hag, the former manager of Manchester United, has spoken about his efforts to sign Alejandro Garnacho for Bayer Leverkusen during his time in charge of the German club. Ten Hag, who handed Garnacho his debut at Manchester United, stated that he encouraged the young winger to join him at Leverkusen.

Garnacho, who was instrumental in Manchester United's 2024 FA Cup final victory over Manchester City by scoring the opening goal, eventually opted to remain in England. Ten Hag was dismissed by Manchester United in October 2024 and subsequently took charge of Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025. However, his spell in Germany was short-lived, lasting only two Bundesliga matches before his dismissal, setting a Bundesliga record for the shortest tenure.

Ten Hag described Garnacho as an "amazing player" capable of "incredible things" but emphasized the need for disciplined management to bring out his best. "He needs a coach, a particular coach, who will give him trust, who will give him love. He needs the love, definitely," Ten Hag told The Athletic. He added that while Garnacho possesses high physical capacity and attacking talent, his defensive mindset and occasional selfishness require careful handling.

Following his time at Manchester United, Garnacho was sold to Chelsea for £40 million in August 2025. After a single season at Chelsea, he moved on loan to Aston Villa, where he currently finds himself lower in the pecking order under manager Unai Emery.

Ten Hag's comments about Garnacho follow recent remarks where he expressed frustration with Manchester United's hierarchy over the sale of Scott McTominay to Napoli for £25 million in the summer of 2024, a move that reportedly occurred against his wishes.