Gian Piero Gasperini — the coach who denied Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen a perfect season in 2024 — is now showing interest in Alejandro Garnacho, a player Chelsea has completely cast aside.
Roma has shown on multiple occasions its interest in Alejandro Garnacho, who is currently practically exiled from the club, and Chelsea's board plans to sell him at all costs this summer. Knowing this, it is then that the Italian team can enter into action, which, curiously, is managed by an old acquaintance of Xabi Alonso. Gian Piero Gasperini.
Journalist Alfredo Pedulla commented on the matter: "Several days ago, I mentioned that there had been an exploratory inquiry about Garnacho. I can confirm that. He's a player that Roma likes a lot as a left-sided attacking winger — someone who operates in the final 30 meters on the left flank. I think he'll rejoin the squad after his holidays next week. In the meantime, Xabi Alonso has taken charge, and after that, they'll decide what to do with Garnacho.
If, as is quite possible, the decision is to send him out to play elsewhere, then Chelsea probably won't be looking at a loan immediately. They'll try to recover some money because they've invested in him. So, Roma will have to decide whether to wait for a possible loan or make a permanent investment.
As a side note, Napoli also asked for information about him over the last four or five days — or rather, he was offered to Napoli as well. However, Napoli are currently unable to move, but Garnacho is considered the right kind of attacking winger for Gian Piero Gasperini."
As a curious fact, let us remember that Gasperini was the one who snatched the Europa League and Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten record from Xabi Alonso. He had culminated a season with 51 matches without knowing defeat, in addition to being crowned champion of the Bundesliga and the Pokal.
The last thing missing was to win the final of the European competition, just one more match... But the Italian coach knew how to set up a tactical scheme that completely erased the German team.
A quite painful match because of what it meant: it was going to be a perfect season in capital letters, a dream season, but that last match was what left an indelible stain for the team and the coach. And, as if that were not enough, it left us with a quite interesting image in which Gasperini is telling Alonso to be quiet. This was after multiple complaints the young coach had made to the fourth official.
Now, a couple of years later, their paths cross again in a certain way. Will Garnacho's next destination indeed be the Italian capital? If so, will he be able to succeed there? We will see.
