Chelsea face uncomfortable Alejandro Garnacho transfer truth that Enzo Maresca is ready for

The profile Chelsea want from their new left-winger is clear. Shots, dribbles, and plenty of box threat.

Whereas Jadon Sancho gave them control, he rarely tested opposition full-backs in one-on-one situations, instead choosing to hold the ball and maintain his position. Sancho's lack of shooting was all the more noticeable for Chelsea when Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke were injured between February and April.

Despite being a useful player, Sancho steadily became little more than a squad option rather than a definite starter. By the end of his loan, Noni Madueke was preferred on his wrong side on the left due to his driving ability and desire to take-on opponents.

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The mixture of Sancho leaving without agreeing a contract to make his move permanent and Mykhailo Mudryk remaining indefinitely suspended has left Chelsea without any choice but to buy at least one new left-sided attacker. Jamie Gittens is their man but others remain on the list.

With Enzo Maresca two down on the options he had last season, it would not be a surprise if more than one was to arrive. Gittens, at this stage, looks increasingly likely to get over the line.

On Monday it emerged that Alejandro Garnacho was once more the centre of attention with Manchester United exploring a move for Christopher Nkunku. The two teams held talks in January over a deal which would see the two players go their separate ways.

Garnacho, though, is far from a popular choice for most Chelsea supporters. Be it his association with the worst United side in Premier League history, his off-field antics (and, by extension, those of his brother, who has proved problematic at Old Trafford), or just his ability, the mere thought of signing Garnacho has left a lot to be desired for many.

On the surface, this is understandable. Do Chelsea need someone who is being outcast at United? How can two 20-year-old wingers be the answer, let alone one, and how does this actually improve the team?

The same can be asked of Gittens, who found himself in-and-out of Nico Kovac's Borussia Dortmund side in the second half of last season. He is extremely raw and has had an underwhelming 2025.

When it comes to what Chelsea are after, there is logic to both.Gittens is relatively high-volume shot taker (2.64 per90 in the Bundesliga last season) with 46% of those on target. However, Gittens only managed 0.18xG (expected goals) per90, which is almost half that of Garnacho, who did it in the Premier League, a much tougher environment.

Gittens has a lower xG per shot than Garnacho but only just (0.07-0.09). Garnacho took twice as many shots per goal last season and has a marginally lower shots on target percentage per90 as well.

So there is balance here. The thing is, whereas Garnacho is being written off for perceptions over his attitude (which do not hold unwarranted concern), he does fit the profile Chelsea are after.

In fact, Garnacho is considerably more experienced than Gittens. Despite being only a few months older, he has 93 league appearances to his name with 58 starts. He has almost 5,500 minutes, which is a considerable amount of development done at United, where he has impressed.

His social media activity (combined with his brother's own actions) seem to have clouded the view of Garnacho. This is a player with 16 league goals and eight assists before his 21st birthday from less than 60 total 90s.

It comes out at an average of 0.40 per game with a league career xG per90 of 0.49. These are extremely strong numbers for someone who also works hard out of possession.

There are decision-making kinks to be ironed out but that is natural with most players of his age. There is more of a debate to be had over whether someone like Garnacho or Gittens is appropriate to try and take Chelsea onto the next level immediately.

With Champions League football to contend with, these are two players with plenty still to sort out in their game. When it comes to wingers and what Chelsea would like them to do, though, Garnacho is about as good as they get for the age bracket they are looking at.

He is only the third (and fourth) winger to play 2,000 minutes in a top flight league whilst putting up more than three shots and 2.5 successful carries into the box for Under-21s since 2017. The other two are Lamine Yamal andEstevao Willian, which is certainly some fine company.

Garnacho's thing is shooting, whereas Gittens hits the dribbles.He is a take-on machine but needs work on the output which follows. For Garnacho, he tries plenty of attacking dribbles but is less successful.

He still takes up dangerous positions to receive in good areas, then choosing to surge forward. Chelsea do not lack players able to get him the ball with Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Romeo Lavia, and even Moises Caicedo all excelling in breaking lines with passes into the final third.

If Garnacho was to get more of these in a functioning team - something United certainly haven't been for two years - then it is only fair to expect his threat to increase again. The real issue is whether Chelsea can harness his talent and reduce the controversy that follows him.

For a young player, he has a lot of Jhon Duran-type noise following him. After being left on the bench in the Europa League final last month against Tottenham, Garnacho posted images of himself scoring in the FA Cup final from 12 months before, a clear hit out at the decision.

Whilst this sort of behaviour is far from ideal, at a new club, things could be different. That is the gamble that comes with Garnacho. Only this week he posted an image wearing an Aston Villa shirt with Marcus Rashford's name on the back.

The relationship with United is over, but if a better one can be formed elsewhere, and his ability tamed, then buying him whilst possibly moving on from Nkunku, who has no future at Stamford Bridge, makes more sense than it seems.

Whilst you cannot separate Garnacho the player from Garnacho the character all that easily, and his baggage will remain a worry until it is proven otherwise, there is a strong reason why Chelsea remain interested in him.