Chelsea agree Alejandro Garnacho loan deal with Aston Villa and buy clause included

The Argentina international is edging closer to a move to Aston Villa after a turbulent 12 months

Chelsea have agreed a deal with Aston Villa for Alejandro Garnacho, with the winger set to move on an initial loan after being deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.

Villa stepped up negotiations earlier this week after receiving indications that he was seeking a fresh challenge.

football.london understands an agreement between the clubs is now in place, with Unai Emery having personally requested the Argentine. The deal includes a £42.5m buy clause that would become mandatory if certain conditions are met, and it is believed the conditions will easily be triggered.

Garnacho has already completed his medical and is now in Birmingham to finalise the move. A four‑year contract is said to be lined up, should the conditional obligation‑to‑buy clause be met and the deal made permanent.

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The 22-year-old found himself at another crossroads just a year after leaving Manchester United under a cloud to force a £40million move to Chelsea.

But after failing to secure a regular starting spot in west London and not returning for pre‑season under new boss Xabi Alonso, he was once again searching for a fresh start.

Chelsea were seeking a solution, and Villa responded by opening talks over an initial loan this week. Emery has held a long-standing interest in the Argentine, having attempted to sign him the previous summer.

Garnacho had drawn strong interest from clubs across Europe and Saudi Arabia, all keen to secure his signature.

However, he is not viewed as a direct replacement for Morgan Rogers who completed a record £117million move to Chelsea, delivering Villa a substantial return on their investment following his arrival from Middlesbrough in February 2024.

The deal is also separate from the negotiations that took place over the transfer of Rogers.

Villa’s club‑record signing Johan Manzambi from Freiburg is viewed as the direct replacement for the outgoing Rogers, but the club have also shifted their focus toward bringing in a wide player.

Garnacho struggled to establish himself in London after his £40m switch from Old Trafford last summer.

He made just 22 starts across all competitions – 14 of them in the Premier League, where he registered eight goals.