Aston Villa have played down the suggestion that Alejandro Garnacho has no future at the club. The club insists that the winger still has the opportunity to secure a permanent move to the Midlands in 2027.
Garnacho joined Villa from Chelsea on a season-long loan in the summer, with a view to a permanent move at £42m – but has had a frustrating start under Unai Emery. “The whole club has had a frustrating start to the Premier League season and is all the way down in 18th place with just 1 point after four games.
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The 22-year-old Argentine international is yet to get a start in the Premier League. His participation is limited to just three substitutes, the equivalent of just over half an hour of league play – which is compared to the Harvey Elliott affair at Villa Park last season.
The competition for places has been fierce, with George Hemmings, Alysson and Ibrahim Mbaye currently ahead of Garnacho in the rankings.
His lack of options has inevitably raised questions about whether Villa will eventually commit to the deal permanently.
Garnacho was an unused substitute during Villa’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win over Coventry City in midweek. At the same time, reports have suggested that he is “already done” at Villa Park and is not on track to reach the required number of games to trigger the £42 million commitment included in the loan deal.
However, TEAMtalk can reveal that Villa sources have tried to play down these suggestions. They insist that Emery still believes in Garnacho’s abilities and that the player will be given opportunities to prove himself.
The sources insist that no decision has been made on Garnacho’s future and that he still has every chance of doing enough during the season to secure a permanent move to Villa Park.
The door is not closed for Garnacho in Villa
The situation is therefore not seen internally as a closed door for the Argentine, despite his limited involvement in the opening stages of the season.
There is also a recent precedent that Villa find themselves in a similar situation.
Last season, the club had a similar deal with Liverpool for Elliott, who also struggled to gather enough game time to turn the loan into a permanent transfer.
Elliott eventually returned to Anfield after Villa chose not to complete the deal. The player has since gone to Valencia on a season-long loan.
Despite that, Emery has urged Garnacho to work hard – after addressing his decision not to use the player in the 3-1 win against Coventry City in the Carabao Cup.
The Spaniard said: “[He has] to keep working. Work, work, train, work. When he gets minutes to play, try to play well.
“George [Hemmings] is playing fantastic; Alysson also understands things well and gives us things I want.
“Alysson also understands things well and gives us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well. We want a competitive team and players who compete in the style we have.
“Garnacho is a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It’s time to be patient with the time he needs.”
However, Garnacho’s situation is not considered to have reached that stage yet, and Villa sources claim that Emery still has faith in the player – and that the coming months will provide Garnacho with opportunities to change the picture.
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