Alejandro Garnacho joined Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer but a permanent move to Villa Park looks unlikely as things stand
Alejandro Garnacho has struggled for minutes since his move to Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer.
Alejandro Garnacho has struggled for minutes since his move to Aston Villa from Chelsea in the summer.(Image: (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images))
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Chelsea have been handed a major Alejandro Garnacho transfer lifeline with the winger attracting interest from Spanish clubs after a difficult start to his time at Aston Villa.
The former Manchester United winger joined the Midlands outfit on a season-long loan from Chelsea in the summer and the Blues are set to bank £43m if certain conditions are fulfilled. But that already looks increasingly unlikely.
Garnacho, 22, has managed just 31 minutes of action so far this season, and has failed to make an appearance off the bench in any of Villa's last three matches.
Villa opted for a similar loan agreement with Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott last summer, deciding not to sign either player on permanent transfers.
According to Mail Online, La Liga clubs are keeping a close eye on Garnacho's situation. The forward was actually born in Madrid and came through Atletico Madrid's academy before making the switch to Manchester United.
When asked recently what Garnacho must do to earn a chance at the club, Villa boss Unai Emery said: "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.
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"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."
Having been omitted from the latest Argentina squad, Garnacho will now link up with Villa on a mid-season training camp in Spain, where he will undoubtedly be looking to impress Emery.
Alejandro Garnacho
Alejandro Garnacho's most recent minutes for Aston Villa came on September 5(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA)
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The winger's career has taken a significant turn for the worse in recent seasons. After netting 26 goals in 144 appearances for Manchester United, he departed the club in a £40m switch to Premier League rivals Chelsea last summer.
He managed eight goals in 43 appearances for Chelsea throughout his debut campaign, though just one of those came in the Premier League.
New boss Xabi Alonso made it abundantly clear that Garnacho had little future at Stamford Bridge prior to his switch to Villa.
The Argentine still has just under six years remaining on his current deal at Stamford Bridge.
Villa face a wait of just under three weeks before their next Premier League fixture, which is scheduled against Brentford on 10th October. They will then face Fenerbahce in their first Champions League home encounter of the campaign.