Alejandro Garnacho could follow Aston Villa star in controversial exit: report

Alejandro Garnacho of Aston Villa in the tunnel before walking out for the Carabao Cup Third Round match against Coventry City
Could Alejandro Garnacho be leaving Villa already? (Image credit: Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

Alejandro Garnacho is facing an Aston Villa exit already.

That's according to a new report, which says that the Argentine isn't favoured by manager Unai Emery, and has been offered an exit route from the Midlands already.

Aston Villa signed Garnacho on loan from Chelsea with a £43 million buy clause over the summer, but with the winger limited to just half an hour in claret-and-blue so far, it appears his Premier League career is spiralling.

Alejandro Garnacho given Aston Villa exit route already

Unai Emery manger / head coach of Aston Villa with the UEFA Europa League trophy

Emery hasn't used Garnacho much thus far (Image credit: Getty Images)

Garnacho broke through at Manchester United as a teenager, but signed for Chelsea last summer in a cut-price deal, and failed to establish himself under either Enzo Maresca or his successor, Liam Rosenior.

While the Blues signed Morgan Rogers for a club-record fee in the summer, Villa took Nicolas Jackson and Garnacho off new manager Xabi Alonso's hands – but fellow Basque boss Emery has instead favoured youngster George Hemmings on the left flank.

George Hemmings of Aston Villa

Youngster George Hemmings has played more than Garnacho (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Mail have reported that Spanish clubs are already eyeing a move for the 22-year-old, who is already considering his future after a lack of opportunities thus far.

The situation has clear parallels with another signing that didn't work out in the shape of Harvey Elliott, who joined the Villains on loan from Liverpool with an option to buy last summer.

When it became clear that the eventual Europa League winners would have to fork out £35 million to make the move permanent, the Reds midfielder made just four Premier League appearances and was frozen out of Emery's plans – somewhat controversially, to some fans, given his clear potential.

While the conditions of Garnacho's move to Villa are undisclosed, it appears as if history is repeating if Emery has no intention to play the winger – though the situation differs slightly from Elliott's.

Given that Elliott had already appeared for Liverpool by the time he made the move to Villa, he was ineligible to play for a third club when the January transfer window came around.

Harvey Elliott is back at Liverpool after his recent loan spell with Aston Villa

Harvey Elliott had a tough time in the Midlands (Image credit: Getty Images)

Garnacho, however, hasn't played for Chelsea this season – meaning that a January move is still possible.

The Madrid-born forward is worth €28m, according to Transfermarkt. Villa host Brentford when Premier League action resumes after the international break.

Mark White
Content Editor

Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.

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