Emery confirms Garnacho deal is permanent as Villa back winger to rediscover best form

Unai Emery has confirmed that Aston Villa’s loan deal for Alejandro Garnacho contains a conditional obligation to purchase, effectively making the Argentine a long-term fixture at Villa Park despite a difficult opening to his spell in the Midlands.

Garnacho, 21, joined Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea in July after a turbulent 18 months that saw his relationship with former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim collapse. He was notably left out of United’s Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in 2025 — a snub that effectively ended his time at Old Trafford — before a £40 million move to Stamford Bridge last summer failed to reignite his career. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and missed European football entirely, with Garnacho unable to make a meaningful contribution in west London.

His start at Villa has been similarly muted. The winger has been restricted to substitute appearances across three outings, registering neither a goal nor an assist, and was an unused substitute in Tuesday’s 3-2 Champions League victory at Club Brugge.

Emery, however, remains publicly committed to the player and pointed to the form Garnacho showed in his final months at United two seasons ago as the benchmark Villa are targeting.

“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 manager 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.”

Emery also praised the attitude Garnacho has shown in training as a reason for optimism ahead of Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest.

“First is positive — his attitude. His attitude is very important, he is getting the commitment we need to achieve it,” Emery added. “Now he needs time. Time, hard work every day, and he is showing it with his attitude. Then, everything he is progressing.

“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.”

For Garnacho, the coming weeks represent a pivotal opportunity. With Villa active in both the Premier League and the Champions League, minutes will be available — but the Argentine will need to convert training-ground promise into tangible output if he is to justify the permanent commitment his club have already made.