Alejandro Garnacho’s difficult start to life at Aston Villa has continued, with Unai Emery yet to hand the winger a Premier League start two months after his arrival from Chelsea.
The Argentina international has played only 31 minutes across three substitute appearances for Villa this season. His longest outing lasted 15 minutes against Hull, while he has remained an unused substitute in each of the club’s past four matches.
Garnacho was again left on the bench during Villa’s 3-2 victory over Tottenham on Saturday, highlighting how far he currently sits behind Emery’s preferred attacking options.
Emery wants Garnacho to be patient
Emery has regularly taken a cautious approach with new signings, giving them time to understand his tactical demands before trusting them with regular starts.
Youri Tielemans, for example, did not start a Premier League match until November 2023 after joining Villa but eventually became an important part of Emery’s side.
However, Garnacho’s situation has attracted more attention because he was not selected even for the Carabao Cup victory over Coventry, when Emery made seven changes to his starting XI.
Academy product George Hemmings has impressed enough to earn the manager’s trust, while £47m summer signing Ibrahim Mbaye has also moved ahead of Garnacho in the pecking order.
Emery admitted that Garnacho was still catching up after missing part of Villa’s pre-season because of a facial injury.
“Continue working. Work, work, train, work,” Emery said when asked about the winger.
“When he can have minutes to play, try to play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now.
“George is playing fantastic. 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.”
Garnacho needs to rediscover his form
The 22-year-old arrived at Chelsea from Manchester United for £40m but struggled to produce the numbers expected of him, registering one goal and four assists in 24 Premier League appearances last season.
Chelsea subsequently allowed him to leave on loan, with Villa providing him with an opportunity to rebuild his reputation.
Villa had wanted additional pace in their attack, while the departure of Morgan Rogers to Chelsea left Emery looking for another attacking option. Garnacho therefore appeared to fit the profile of player the club wanted.
Yet his lack of playing time has quickly created questions over whether he can establish himself at Villa Park.
There is also a financial element to the move, with an obligation to buy attached to the loan that is reportedly linked to appearances. The clause is expected to be achievable, although Garnacho’s limited involvement means the situation remains worth monitoring.
Elliott experience provides a warning
Garnacho’s situation has also drawn comparisons with Harvey Elliott’s loan spell at Villa.
Elliott would reportedly have triggered a £35m permanent transfer after making 10 Premier League appearances last season. However, Emery used him only four times in the league before deciding against making the move permanent.
Elliott subsequently joined Valencia after his Villa spell ended.
Garnacho will hope his story develops differently. He burst onto the scene at Manchester United as a teenager, won the Premier League Goal of the Season award in 2023-24 and was part of Argentina’s Copa America-winning squad in 2024.
However, he has not added to his eight Argentina caps since November 2024, while his club career has stalled since his breakthrough at United.
For now, Emery has made it clear that Garnacho must continue working and wait for his opportunity. When that chance arrives, the winger will need to make an immediate impression if he is to force his way into Villa’s starting XI.
