Sports17 September, 20262 min read
Unai Emery Tells Alejandro Garnacho To Earn Minutes At Aston Villa
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Emery: Garnacho must keep working to earn minutes; others ahead in selection. Garnacho on Chelsea loan to Villa; £42m permanent transfer clause; Chelsea expect no return.
Emery’s minutes message
Unai Emery told reporters that Alejandro Garnacho must keep working to earn minutes at Aston Villa, saying, "Work, work, training and more work." Emery added that Garnacho is progressing but that "there are players in front of him right now." Garnacho has had a limited role since joining Villa on loan, with the winger playing only 31 minutes and making substitute appearances against Brighton, Arsenal, and Hull City.
Emery also pointed to internal competition, saying, "We want a competitive team and players who can compete in the style we have," and he recalled Garnacho was "a little behind" due to preseason circumstances.
Garnacho’s early Villa run has left him without continuity, as he remained on the bench without entering against Bruges, Nottingham Forest, and Coventry City.
Coventry snub and bench
Aston Villa left Garnacho on the bench for the entire Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City, and Villa won 3-1 at the CBS Arena with seven changes.
Emery used all five substitutions without turning to the 22-year-old, and the winger has now made only three substitute appearances since joining Villa, playing 31 minutes without starting a match.
Emery framed the decision as part of a pecking order, saying, "Continue working. Work, work, train, work," and he added, "He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now." The Coventry match extended Garnacho’s pattern of being an unused substitute, and he had been left on the bench three times before that midweek game.
The loan spell has also kept Chelsea’s expectations in view, with Chelsea insiders saying they did not expect to see Garnacho again after the season-long loan to Villa.
Transfer pressure and obligations
Chelsea insiders said they did not expect to see Garnacho again once he completed his season-long loan to Villa, with the club expecting the move to result in a permanent departure. The transfer agreement has been described as including a £42 million permanent transfer, and Chelsea sources said there was an expectation Garnacho could struggle to establish himself as a regular under Unai Emery. Flashscore also said Garnacho is yet to start a Premier League game and has featured just three times from the bench, accumulating little more than half an hour of league action.
Football Place added that Villa reportedly have an obligation to buy the winger for £43million if certain conditions are triggered, and it linked the clause to comparisons with Harvey Elliott’s loan. Emery’s message to Garnacho has remained consistent across the early weeks, with the Villa manager telling him, "It is time to be patient for the time he needs," as the winger tries to move ahead of players including George Hemmings, Alysson, and Ibrahim Mbaye.