In an interview with The Athletic, the former Manchester United manager revealed that he tried to bring Garnacho to Bayer Leverkusen in 2025, before the winger chose to remain in England and joined Chelsea. Garnacho is now on loan at Aston Villa, where opportunities under Unai Emery have been limited.
“I regret where he is now. I told him, ‘Come to Leverkusen’. But luckily he didn’t. He wanted to stay in England. I understand, the best league, so he denied,” Ten Hag said.
The Dutchman gave Garnacho his Manchester United debut and helped oversee his development into a first-team player. The winger scored the opening goal in United’s 2-1 victory over Manchester City in the 2024 FA Cup final, but his career has since taken a difficult turn following his departure from Old Trafford.
Ten Hag said Garnacho’s talent was never in doubt, although he believes the Argentina international needs the right management and a coach who can help him maintain focus.
“He’s a character, you have to manage him, but I had a strong connection with him,” Ten Hag said. “But it’s also up to him, of course, but he needs a coach, a particular coach, who will give him trust, who will give him love. He needs the love, definitely. But he’s an amazing player.”
The former United manager highlighted Garnacho’s physical capacity and attacking qualities, while pointing to the need for greater consistency without the ball.
“What’s so special about him is he can run all day, high volume at really high speed, all game, back and forward. Sometimes his head is not on defending. So mentally, his mindset, you have to make sure he is focused and disciplined and does the job every transition, but he’s capable of doing it and attacking-wise he can go forward and do incredible things, making dribbles, finishing. He can do the final pass, but sometimes he’s a little bit selfish but you balance this.”
Ten Hag also addressed the role of former United players who have become prominent pundits, including Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand. He said he respected what they had achieved at the club but argued that their perspective was inevitably shaped by their past.
“It’s everywhere the same, they always want to protect their legacies. It’s no different than Bayern Munich or Ajax; they do the same. But they are history, and they do not always know what’s going on. Football evolves,” he said.
Ten Hag stressed that United’s former players had earned their place in the club’s history, while suggesting that criticism could sometimes affect those still playing.
“For United, it’s clear: they had great contributions, they achieved massive results, trophies for the club and for themselves, so I respect them.”
He said his personal relationships with Neville and Ferdinand had been good, but added that public criticism could be difficult for current players to ignore.
“Sometimes it’s difficult for players. Some of them get affected by it, get annoyed by it.”
Ten Hag argued that former players could use their platforms to support the club and its squad as well as scrutinise them. His comments come as Garnacho tries to rebuild his momentum at Villa, while United continues to live under the scrutiny that accompanies its history and expectations.