Chelsea insiders use two words to describe Alejandro Garnacho ahead of transfer announcement

With Alejandro Garnacho’s time at Chelsea seemingly about to end, a verdict from insiders within the club have come to their conclusion about him

Chelsea insiders had only two words to sum up Alejandro Garnacho – “shy and misunderstood.”

Garnacho looks set to complete a surprise move to Aston Villa after a torrid 10 months at Stamford Bridge. He will move to Unai Emery’s side on an initial loan, a matter of weeks after Xabi Alonso all but confirmed he is on his way out of the club.

Should certain conditions be met, Villa will have to fork out a mandatory £42.5million to sign him permanently and it’s understood these conditions are easily attainable. Garnacho heads out to Villa with his reputation anything but enhanced from his time with Chelsea.

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He only managed eight goals and four assists in 43 appearances last season, with four of his strikes coming in the League Cup. It’s understood by football.london his medical has already been completed and a four-year contract will be signed, if his obligation-to-buy clause is triggered.

There is a narrative about Garnacho that he is brash, arrogant, difficult to work with, but this feeling is not held by people within the club. “Shy and misunderstood” are the words club insiders use to describe him, according to the Daily Mail. They also urged others to remember Garnacho is still young, only 22, and was 21 when he first joined the west Londoners. There is still time for him to find his stride and Villa may be the team for him to do so.

Despite not being part of Argentina’s World Cup team, Garnacho did not report back for pre-season training in west London. In his first press conference, Alonso then confirmed Garnacho was in talks with other clubs, saying: “Well the situation is that we have spoken with the sporting directors.

“There is an interest for him (Garnacho) from other clubs. So let’s see how this develops. But hopefully, it finishes in the best possible way for other clubs.”

Those outside Chelsea may struggle to come to that conclusion about his personality, given the noise which seems to accompany him. On social media, he has regularly shown off his gregarious tattoos, including one of the Joker which encompasses his whole back.

After being left out of Argentina’s World Cup squad, Garnacho also showed off a new set of dreadlocks, which stretched from the top of his head to below his chin, something which also garnered plenty of attention on social media.

There was also the matter of his goal celebrations, which regularly saw him sit on an advertising board and pose, with his back, in the case of the Blues’ FA Cup clash against Wrexham, towards away supporters.

The manner in which he left Manchester United may have also planted a negative view in people’s heads. He was consigned to United’s ‘bomb squad’ by then manager Ruben Amorim, after he publicly lambasted the Portuguese boss for leaving him out of United’s starting eleven for the 2025 Europa League final.

He departed United under a dark cloud and despite never being in Amorim’s plans from that point forward, he did not secure a move to Stamford Bridge until August 30th.

Garnacho does appear to have ambition to shine at the highest level, which is evident from the fact he turned down a lucrative approach from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr last summer, a move which would have reunited him with Cristiano Ronaldo.

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