Alejandro Garnacho's Chelsea nightmare is over. Fabrizio Romano confirmed on July 22 that the Argentine winger is joining Aston Villa on a loan deal with an obligation to buy, bringing to a close a dismal one-year spell at Stamford Bridge. Garnacho arrived at Chelsea last summer after falling out with then-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, but struggled for consistent form and favour under the Stamford Bridge setup. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was the driving force behind the move, personally pushing his club to get the deal done.
Villa will cover the player's full salary throughout the loan period before the obligation to purchase clause triggers. The deal reunites Garnacho with a high-intensity pressing setup that suits his directness and explosive movement. At 21, the former United academy product still has enormous potential and Emery is widely regarded as the ideal manager to help him realise it. Villa are expected to officially announce the signing within the next 24 hours.