Emery backs Garnacho for long-term Villa future despite slow start after Chelsea struggles

Unai Emery has moved to publicly back Alejandro Garnacho’s future at Aston Villa, insisting the club signed the winger with a long-term plan in mind despite a difficult start to his loan spell at Villa Park.

Garnacho, 20, joined Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea in July, with a conditional obligation to buy included in the deal. The Argentine has yet to score or provide an assist in three substitute appearances, and was an unused substitute during Villa’s 3-2 Champions League victory at Club Brugge on Tuesday.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s Premier League visit of Nottingham Forest, Emery was measured but optimistic about the forward’s prospects. “We want him at the same level he was for Chelsea in the first part of last season and in Manchester two years ago,” the Villa head coach said. “He is a player we have signed for a long time, and we will help him to feel comfortable and confident to get his quality.”

Garnacho’s path to Villa has been a turbulent one. After falling out with former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim — and being dropped for the Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur — he completed a £40 million move to Chelsea last summer. But the winger failed to make a consistent impact at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and missed out on European football entirely.

Emery, however, pointed to Garnacho’s attitude in training as a reason for confidence. “First is positive — his attitude. His attitude is very important, he is getting the commitment we need to achieve it,” he said. “Now he needs time. Time, hard work every day, and he is showing it with his attitude.”

The Villa manager added that he is already seeing incremental improvement from the United academy graduate. “Every training session we are doing, he is showing he can play matches. Progressively, I am seeing him better. The most important thing is being consistent and demanding through the attitude he has. Then, I believe and I trust that he will achieve his best performance.”

Whether Garnacho can rediscover the form that made him one of Europe’s most exciting young wingers remains to be seen, but Emery’s public endorsement at least signals that Villa have no intention of cutting the experiment short.