As Alejandro Garnacho departs Stamford Bridge for Villa Park, we reflect on the Argentine's time with the Blues and what the future holds under Unai Emery at Aston Villa.
ben-lewis
ByBen LewisPublished July 25, 2026 – Updated July 25, 2026, 5:44 pm BST
The Garnacho Chelsea Saga: Was it simply not meant to be?
43 games, 8 goals and 4 assists after signing from Manchester United, Alejandro Garnacho has departed Chelsea for Aston Villa.
When Alejandro Garnacho first walked through the glass doors of Stamford Bridge, a real sense of optimism surrounded his arrival. A player castaway from Old Trafford alongside his successful teammates, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, now had the opportunity to make his mark at Chelsea.
However, after only one season with the Blues, the Argentine winger failed to win over fans and colleagues alike, with players describing him as “shy” and “misunderstood”.
Sparks of talent at Stamford Bridge
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Regardless, it’s important to reflect on how the 22-year-old Puskás Award winner certainly had his moments at Chelsea! Coming off the Bench to score a brace against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup Semi-final was a highlight, as well as (rather ironically) his standout performance against Aston Villa away at Villa Park, where a Chelsea article described him as “Central to dynamic Blues’ attacking display”.
New Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso made it very clear from his first press conference as Chelsea manager that Garnacho was not a part of his plans. The Argentine then proceeded to skip Chelsea’s pre-season training and fixtures to seal his departure away from Stamford Bridge.
Unai Emery is reportedly a “Big Fan” of the 22-year-old and actually attempted to get his signature last summer before the Blues pulled out their wallet and beat him to it.
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With only 17 goals in 117 Premier League appearances, could this be considered a positive move from a Villa perspective? The fact of the matter is that Garnacho is a player with great potential and will be working hand-in-hand with a top manager in Unai Emery, who has found an ability to squeeze results out of confidence-drained players.
Just ask the likes of Donyell Malen, Marcus Rashford, Youri Tielemans, Tammy Abraham and Jadon Sancho, who all thrived under the guidance of the Spaniard who recently took the club to a timely Europa League Victory! It’s fair to say he has a positive track record in reviving players' careers.
Rashford went from United outcast to a Barcelona and England superstar!
Tielemans went from a free agent from relegated Leicester City to scoring in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and earning a huge move to Manchester United.
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As for Garnacho’s brief tenure at Chelsea, it’s fair to say he hasn’t had a smooth ride. 4 managers in 5 months isn’t easy going, and in 10th-place Chelsea, it would have been difficult for the Argentine to develop any kind of consistency, especially with Chelsea’s congestion of wingers.
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