Alejandro Garnacho was the future of Manchester United - but Ineos have a new leader

For a team finding goals hard to come by, selling your third biggest contributor to the process of scoring looks like either a radical move or a decision laced with risk. Cashing in on Alejandro Garnacho could certainly come back to haunt Manchester United.

Garnacho has 13 goals or assists at United this season, a tally only bettered by Bruno Fernandes' 19 and the 16 contributed by Amad. However, the key stat is that only two have come in Garnacho's 14 appearances under Ruben Amorim.

In the early months of this season, it looked likely to be a breakthrough campaign for a thrilling young talent. If you had been told in September or October that United would spend January pondering whether Napoli or Chelsea would offer enough cash for them to part with the 20-year-old, you would have struggled to believe it.

But with less than two weeks of the window to go, that is where we are, and in many ways, it makes sense. Of those 14 games Garnacho has played under Amorim, only six have been starts, and it's clear that his profile simply doesn't fit the head coach's system.

After Sunday's defeat to Brighton, in which Garnacho came off the bench to play the last 27 minutes, Amorim again made it abundantly clear that he had no intention of moving away from his 3-4-2-1 system. He is totally committed to it.

That leaves Garnacho wondering how he can get in the team. He is a winger who has done his best work off the left, cutting in onto his right foot. Amorim has only room for no. 10s in his system, more inside-forwards than players of Garnacho's skillset. He might be a jewel in the crown for United, a talent who seemed destined for the top after joining Atletico Madrid at 16.

United only paid £420,000 for Garnacho, but rather than looking like a bargain for a player of immense potential, it is now pointing the way to pure profit on a fee long amortised. United will be able to call every penny they receive for Garnacho pure profit when it comes to the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

It is clear the club need to sell to raise funds to use this month and in the summer, but selling Garnacho, one of four players' labelled 'untouchable' in the summer, is not without risks.

For starters, it would further antagonise a fan base becoming increasingly agitated with how the club is run. There is an argument that selling Kobbie Mainoo is the only other move that would come with more criticism from supporters, given the thrills Garnacho has already delivered.

And that is the other risk. Garnacho is an exciting winger, a game capable of breaking open a game and shining in big moments. He is already a full Argentina international and started 37 successive games for United last season. If he does leave this month, don't be surprised if he goes on to have an exceptional career elsewhere.

Under any other manager, it is almost impossible to see Garnacho made available at United. That his Old Trafford career might now be measured in days rather than years is because the club is committing to Amorim.

If United had the resources to compete in the transfer market, then maybe the 20-year-old could be considered a project, with the intention of turning him into a no. 10 or a wing-back. But the reality is United need cash and lots of it. Garnacho is a sellable asset in this squad, and when Amorim has everyone fit and available, he is an impact substitute at best.

If United get the fee they want before the window closes on February 3 and sanction the deal, it will be the ultimate show of commitment to Amorim. Garnacho could have been a United stalwart for years, but if he is sold, then the future is being built around Amorim.