Alejandro Garnacho: Number of appearances required for Aston Villa transfer outlined by multiple sources
Alejandro Garnacho’s loan move from Chelsea to Aston Villa will be become permanent if he meets an ‘easily achievable’ appearance threshold, and according to multiple sources that mark should be very easily achieved.
Garnacho was on the Chelsea exit ramp before Villa came calling. Roma were in contact with the Blues and his representatives for some time and were thought to be close to agreeing a deal that Garnacho was keen on, while a move to the Saudi Pro League was also on the cards.
Villa’s interest came as a surprise to those who had seen the struggles Garnacho had endured at the end of his Manchester United career continue at Chelsea, albeit after a half-decent start at Stamford Bridge.
According to The Athletic, it was Unai Emery who convinced Garnacho to remain in the Premier League, as Villa pivoted to his signing amid difficulty in their bid to land Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG, whom they eventually agreed a £47m fee for.
The report claims Emery ‘led’ Garnacho’s transfer as he ‘wanted him for some time’, while the Mbaye deal ‘was more collaborative, with unanimous support across departments’.
Villa agreed an initial loan wth a conditional obligation to buy, based on appearances, with a total package that could reach £42.5m.
Sources at Chelsea have claimed the appearance threshold was ‘easily achievable’ and while The Athletic admit the exact number of games ‘remains a closely guarded secret’, they add that ‘multiple sources say it is easier to achieve than the 10 Premier League games it would have taken to trigger the purchase of Harvey Elliott for £35million from Liverpool last season’.
The agreement also contains no recall clause, and despite inevitable parallels being drawn to Elliott – a fiasco which Emery described as “embarrassing” at the end of last season – it’s claimed Villa are hopeful the Garnacho can prove his worth to Emery and become a key part of the squad this season.
‘Two Villa sources said they would be amazed if Garnacho did not end up being their player beyond the season’, the report adds.
Garnacho optimism
It was revealed earlier this week that there is optimism from all sides as Garnacho looks to ‘restart his Premier League career’ in the coming months after an ‘intense mini pre-season’ during the international break.
After ‘several one-to-one meetings’ with Emery, Garnacho scored in friendlies against Southampton and Sevilla.
The report added:
‘Emery and his coaching staff have also put Garnacho through individual tactical sessions to get him up to speed with the Basque manager’s methods and principles of play.
‘The Argentine winger has worked on a personal fitness programme and it is understood that Villa believe he has made clear progress over the last fortnight.’
