Garnacho faces Aston Villa exit after just 30 minutes of action under Emery

Alejandro Garnacho is facing an early exit from Aston Villa after failing to win over manager Unai Emery, with Spanish clubs already reported to be eyeing a January move for the 22-year-old winger.

Villa signed Garnacho on loan from Chelsea this summer, with a £43 million buy clause attached, as part of a deal that also brought Nicolas Jackson to the club. Yet despite the significant outlay involved, Garnacho has been restricted to just 30 minutes of first-team football in claret and blue, with Emery instead preferring youngster George Hemmings on the left flank.

According to a report from The Mail, Garnacho has already been offered an exit route from the Midlands and is considering his options following a lack of opportunities. Spanish clubs are said to be monitoring the situation ahead of the January transfer window.

The circumstances draw a striking parallel with Harvey Elliott’s ill-fated loan spell at Villa last season. The Liverpool midfielder arrived with an option to buy but made just four Premier League appearances before being frozen out of Emery’s plans. When it became clear Villa would need to pay £35 million to sign him permanently, Elliott was effectively sidelined — a situation that frustrated sections of the Villa fanbase given his evident ability.

Garnacho’s case does differ from Elliott’s in one important respect. Because the Argentine has not featured for Chelsea at all this season, he remains eligible to join a third club in January — a route that was closed to Elliott, who had already played for Liverpool before his Villa loan.

Garnacho broke through at Manchester United as a teenager before joining Chelsea in a cut-price deal last summer. He struggled to establish himself under Enzo Maresca and then interim boss Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge, and his move to Villa was seen as an opportunity to revive his Premier League career. So far, that revival has not materialised.

Transfermarkt values the Madrid-born forward at €28 million. Villa return to Premier League action after the international break with a home fixture against Brentford.