Alejandro Garnacho's season-long loan at Aston Villa is showing troubling signs of falling apart, with the 22-year-old restricted to just 31 minutes of action and clubs in Spain monitoring his situation ahead of a potential January move.
Garnacho arrived at Villa Park from Chelsea in the summer on a loan arrangement that carries a £43 million conditional buy clause. Yet rather than kick-starting a career that had stalled at Stamford Bridge, the winger has found himself deep in the pecking order under Unai Emery, left on the bench for the last four games in all competitions.
The Argentine was born in Madrid and came through Atlético Madrid's academy before joining Manchester United, where he scored 26 goals across 144 appearances. A turbulent departure from Old Trafford led to a £40 million switch to Chelsea, but he managed only one Premier League goal from eight across 43 appearances in his debut campaign there. When Xabi Alonso took charge at Stamford Bridge, he made it plain that Garnacho had no place in his plans, despite the winger still holding close to six years on his contract. A loan to Villa followed, yet the fresh start has so far failed to materialise.
Teenager George Hemmings has instead been Emery's preferred option on the left flank, making eight appearances in all competitions this season. A facial injury during pre-season, which forced Garnacho to miss the Super Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain, disrupted his preparation and left him chasing the others for form and fitness.
Emery addressed Garnacho's position after Villa's Carabao Cup win over Coventry, delivering a candid assessment. "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. George Hemmings is playing fantastic. Alysson is also understanding things well and is giving us things I want. [Ibrahim] Mbaye also responded well. We want a competitive team and players to compete in the style we have. Garnacho is a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre-season. It is time to be patient for the time he needs."
The situation draws uncomfortable comparisons with Harvey Elliott's loan from Liverpool last season. Elliott made just four Premier League appearances before Villa decided against triggering the £35 million permanent option, and because he had already played for Liverpool that term, he was ineligible to move to a third club in January. Garnacho's position differs: he has not featured for Chelsea at all this season, meaning a January exit remains a live option.
Emery later revealed the reasoning behind Elliott's treatment. "The problem we have with Harvey is that this year he is on loan, and in case he plays matches we must buy him. We decided two months ago that we are not convinced to sign him, spending the money we would need to sign him," he said.
With Garnacho omitted from the latest Argentina squad, he will join Villa's mid-season training camp in Spain during the international break — an opportunity to catch Emery's eye before Premier League action returns. Villa's next league fixture is against Brentford on 10th October, with a first home Champions League encounter against Fenerbahce to follow shortly after.
Reporting: FourFourTwo, The Sun, talkSPORT, TeamTalk, GiveMeSport, Football.London.