Garnacho's revival at Aston Villa looks uncertain

Having struggled during his stints at Man United and Chelsea, Alejandro Garnacho is close to moving to Aston Villa on a temporary deal. Yet the question remains: will Villa Park offer him a fresh start, or will he repeat the unfortunate trajectory of Jadon Sancho before him?

It is easy to spot the similarities between Garnacho and Sancho's careers. Both were once considered the future of Manchester United before gradually losing their place in the squad. Sancho failed to prove himself under Erik ten Hag, then went on loan to Dortmund, Chelsea, and Aston Villa in three consecutive seasons. Now the 26-year-old forward is a free agent after his contract with United expired, and his next destination remains unclear.

Garnacho's path is unfolding in a similar fashion. He developed and shone under Ten Hag, reaching 100 appearances for United in October 2024. However, after the Dutch coach was sacked, Garnacho gradually became surplus to Ruben Amorim's plans. Last season, Chelsea paid £40 million to bring him to Stamford Bridge. Despite scoring 8 goals and providing 4 assists in 43 appearances, his performances still fell short of expectations. Therefore, Xabi Alonso is willing to let the Argentine leave to seek a reset opportunity at Aston Villa.

Aston Villa's caution in this deal is understandable. In recent years, the Villa Park side has repeatedly taken on loan wingers like Sancho, Marco Asensio, and Marcus Rashford, but none impressed enough to trigger a permanent transfer. After Morgan Rogers moved to Chelsea for £117 million, Aston Villa needed to add quality wide attacking options. Rather than rushing into big spending in the transfer market, Unai Emery has chosen Garnacho as a trial. Unlike Rogers, Garnacho is a direct player who prefers taking on full-backs rather than cutting inside frequently. Emery hopes this style will provide a new attacking dimension for Aston Villa as they compete on multiple fronts, including the Champions League.

For Garnacho, he must show a different face from his time at Chelsea. Last season, the Argentine forward played only 1,217 minutes in the Premier League and needed an average of 243 minutes to score a goal. His biggest weakness remains poor finishing, which prevented him from earning the full trust of Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior in an already crowded Chelsea attack.

Aston Villa, with lower pressure and a more suitable environment, could be Garnacho's chance to start over after his disappointing years at United and Chelsea. However, if he still fails to improve his finishing, Villa Park might become just another stop on his downward spiral, much like what Sancho has been going through.