Aston Villa scout Fenerbahce winger Oguz Aydin as Garnacho's future grows uncertain

Aston Villa have held talks with Fenerbahce over a potential move for winger Oguz Aydin, according to reports in Turkey, with club representatives travelling to Istanbul to watch the player in action — a development that raises fresh questions over Alejandro Garnacho’s future at Villa Park.

Garnacho joined Villa on loan from Chelsea with a conditional obligation to buy, but the 22-year-old Argentine has struggled for playing time under Unai Emery, who demands a high tactical understanding from his wide players. The reported £42 million price tag attached to the deal adds further pressure on Garnacho to establish himself quickly.

Emery has acknowledged that Garnacho is progressing in the right direction, but the Villa squad is now heavily stocked in the positions the manager deploys behind striker Nicolas Jackson. John McGinn, Emi Buendia, Morgan Rogers, Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Mbaye — signed from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer — and in-form Alysson all compete for those roles, while George Hemmings has been repurposed from central midfield and featured across all three attacking positions this season.

According to Sport Witness, Villa sent a delegation to Monday night’s Istanbul derby between Fenerbahce and Galatasaray to run the rule over Aydin, after making contact with the Turkish club and the player’s agent. Fenerbahce lost that match 2-1, with Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen scoring both goals for Galatasaray. Villa are due to face Galatasaray in the Champions League group phase at the same stadium within the month, which may have provided additional logistical convenience for the scouting trip.

Sport Witness reports that Villa may submit a formal offer for Aydin in January, though no fee has been mentioned and Fenerbahce’s position on a potential sale remains unclear.

For Garnacho, the picture is increasingly complicated. He is the oldest of the players currently competing for wide attacking positions at Villa, ahead of Alysson, Hemmings and Mbaye — all of whom Emery appears to view as part of the club’s longer-term planning. Whether Villa ultimately move for Aydin or not, the depth of options in front of Garnacho makes his path to regular first-team football a difficult one.