Alejandro Garnacho’s loan move to Aston Villa has yet to get off the ground, though the club could be obligated to sign him permanently if certain conditions are met
Former Manchester United star Alejandro Garnacho will take confidence from scoring his first Aston Villa goal in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Southampton during the international break. The winger has endured a frustrating start to life at Villa Park following his loan switch from Chelsea.
Garnacho is yet to make a start under Unai Emery, featuring only as a substitute and accumulating 31 minutes of Premier League action so far this season. There had been expectations he would be handed an opportunity in Villa’s 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City, but he remained an unused substitute.
After leaving him out of the side, Emery delivered a clear message to the youngster, saying: “Continue working. Work, work, train, work. When he can have minutes to play, try to play well.
“He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now.”
Those players include academy prospects George Hemming, Ibrahim Mbaye and Alysson, all of whom have featured in recent matches while Garnacho has been left watching from the stands.
There has already been speculation that he could follow a similar path to Harvey Elliott, who spent last season on loan at Villa from Liverpool. Elliott made just five Premier League appearances during his spell, only one of which came as a starter.
However, Garnacho was among the players who remained at the club during the international break and was handed an opportunity in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Southampton. The winger seized his chance, scoring the only goal of the game in a performance that will have done his hopes of breaking into Emery’s plans no harm.
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The strike could prove to be a turning point as Garnacho looks to establish himself at Villa Park and avoid a similarly frustrating loan spell. Elliott struggled for opportunities under Emery, who opted against using the Liverpool loanee regularly because a permanent transfer would have been triggered after 10 appearances.
Villa hold a conditional obligation to buy Garnacho at the end of the season for around £43million if certain clauses are met. The forward only left United last summer, joining Chelsea in a £40m move after his relationship with former head coach Ruben Amorim broke down.
There were hopes the switch to Stamford Bridge would reignite his career, but Garnacho struggled to make a significant impact in west London. Chelsea endured a disappointing campaign, finishing 10th in the Premier League and missing out on European football, while the winger found regular opportunities difficult to come by.
United will be keeping a close eye on Garnacho’s progress at Villa Park. If Villa were to trigger the clause to make his move from Chelsea permanent, Michael Carrick’s side would be due a windfall of around £300,000 thanks to the 10 per cent sell-on clause negotiated as part of his move to Stamford Bridge.
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