Unai Emery Convinces Aston Villa to Complete Move for Alejandro Garnacho: Reports
Aston Villa have agreed to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea. The 22-year-old Argentina international arrives at Villa Park on loan with a buy clause that will become active once certain conditions are met. Unai Emery was the man who started the chase for Garnacho’s signature, and a medical exam has been planned.
The Argentinian’s departure marks the end of a frustrating first campaign in west London, with his contributions more hit-and-miss than game-changing. He netted once and provided four assists in 24 Premier League games over 1,268 minutes of league action. Garnacho was told he could leave Stamford Bridge, then was removed from pre-season training while negotiations between the two sides were ongoing.
Emery’s interest in the winger is not new or speculative; he looked into a deal for him in the summer of 2025 before Chelsea stepped in and blocked it. The Spanish head coach seems to have been inspired by Marcus Rashford, who had a successful loan spell at Villa Park in 2025 that helped to boost his profile after it dropped. Garnacho is worth about £42.5 million to Chelsea for any permanent transfer, plus he gets to play in the Champions League, which he cannot do at Stamford Bridge in the coming season.
Other clubs still had a little interest in the Argentine, but Villa’s decisiveness has more or less rendered them pointless. Emery is also chasing Nicolas Jackson ahead of the medical, as he prepares an attack without Morgan Rogers.
Chelsea’s aggressive realignment under Xabi Alonso gathers pace
Garnacho on the verge of leaving is just part of a massive clear-out going on at Stamford Bridge this summer. Chelsea have agreed a British record £117 million deal for Aston Villa forward Morgan Rogers. The 23-year-old English forward’s transfer fee is more than the £116 million Manchester City paid for Elliot Anderson earlier in the transfer window.
This feat has been made possible by the club’s consistent success in the sales market, and has been a hallmark of the BlueCo ownership era. The departures of Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos, and Tyrique George brought in around £130 million, with the money received from Manchester City for hiring Enzo Maresca also helping the accounts.
Xabi Alonso, who was appointed in May on a four-year contract, will inherit a side that will not be competing in any European fixtures next season. With Garnacho gone, wages will be freed up, and the books will be even as the Spanish boss rebuilds his squad ahead of August.
