Alejandro Garnacho has only just swapped Old Trafford red for Chelsea blue, but his first taste of Cobham training has already raised eyebrows.
The £40m signing from Manchester United was spotted gasping for air and left joking he could hardly stand after Enzo Maresca’s intense session.
The Argentine winger arrived in west London after a rocky summer at United, where he was frozen out by manager Ruben Amorim and forced to train alone.
Now at Stamford Bridge on a seven-year deal, Garnacho is finding out quickly that Chelsea training is no walk in the park.
At the end of one drill, the 21-year-old could be heard saying: “I can’t move my legs now man. That sprint in the last one.”
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A tough welcome at Cobham for Garnacho
Chelsea teammates were quick to remind Garnacho what life at the club is like. Defender Wesley Fofana gave a short but sharp message: “Welcome to Chelsea Football Club, eh.”
The winger will need to adapt quickly, especially with heavy competition for attacking spots.
New arrivals Jamie Gittens and Estevao Willian are already pushing for minutes, while Pedro Neto and Cole Palmer remain central to Maresca’s plans.
Maresca, though, has backed Garnacho to come good: “He is a good winger in one-versus-one and he can create things. This is the way I see things.”
The Argentine has also found a familiar face in Enzo Fernandez, who admitted he pushed his compatriot to make the move.
Garnacho said: “I spoke to Enzo during the summer because he had been asking a lot of times, ‘When are you coming?’... I had to be patient too, but now I can’t wait to get started.”
Garnacho could make his Chelsea debut after the international break when the Blues travel to Brentford on September 13.
Whether his legs recover in time is another story — but fans will hope the Cobham “leg day” pays off when the real action begins.
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