Why Alejandro Garnacho Is More Like Nani Than Cristiano Ronaldo, Ex Man United Hero Explains

• Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho has been told he plays like Luis Nani
• The 19-year-old, on the other hand, is known for his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo
• He recently notched a brace as the Red Devils stumbled to a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea

Former Manchester United hero, Luis Nani, has offered an interesting perspective on Alejandro Garnacho, likening the young talent more to himself during his playing days than to Cristiano Ronaldo.

It's widely known that Garnacho admires Ronaldo greatly. The Spanish-born Argentine winger often cites the Portuguese phenom as his role model ahead of his countryman, Lionel Messi.

However, his idolisation of Ronaldo has drawn criticism from his compatriot Angel Di Maria, who believes he should model his game after Messi instead.

Despite the mixed opinions about Garnacho's style and his admiration for CR7, the teenager has shown significant growth in performance this season.

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In a recent match against Chelsea, he scored a brace for United, although his side ultimately lost the seven-goal thriller, which has since been described by many as a Premier League classic.

While his side ended up losing, his pair of goals marked a notable achievement for him. For the first time in his fledgling career, he has been involved in 10 Premier League goals, per Statman Dave.

Why Garnacho is more like Nani than Ronaldo?

Reflecting on Garnacho's development, Nani sees shades of his own younger self in the talented teenager.

“When I watch Garnacho, he reminds me of myself. He even has the No. 17 shirt—the same number I wore. When he changed to that number this season, he started scoring some goals, so that’s been good for him," the 37-year-old told The Mirror as quoted by Daily Post.

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Explaining further, the Portuguese said: “He’s not afraid of taking on defenders, making runs, and making assists. He’s a very good player. He has so much time to improve his game and get stronger. He will be fantastic in the future.

“His game is more similar to mine when I was at United than Cristiano’s. He’s a very exciting player and I hope in the future he can win titles with the club and help it be successful again.”

Garnacho pays tribute to Ronaldo

In a previous article, Sports Brief highlighted Alejandro Garnacho's tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo by reenacting the football icon's iconic 'nap' celebration with TikTok personality Iran 'Receba' Ferreira.

The Man United player joined forces with the social media influencer to replicate Ronaldo's renowned goal-scoring pose. Garnacho also gifted Ferreira a Manchester United jersey during their collaboration.

Despite being from Lionel Messi's native Argentina, the 19-year-old Garnacho is recognised for his admiration for Portuguese maestro Ronaldo.