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Villa may sideline Garnacho to avoid £43m fee
24 Oct
Summary
- Villa may limit Garnacho's play to avoid a mandatory purchase.
- The winger has accumulated just 31 minutes of competitive action.
- Elliott was subject to a similar strategy last season.
Aston Villa is reportedly prepared to significantly limit on-loan Chelsea forward Alejandro Garnacho's playing time for the remainder of the current campaign. The Midlands club's strategy is to avoid activating a mandatory £43 million purchase agreement stipulated in his contract. Garnacho, who arrived in July on a season-long loan, has struggled to impress, accumulating only 31 minutes of competitive action this season.
This potential decision stems from a desire to protect their transfer budget, as the club previously employed a similar tactic with Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott last season to bypass a mandatory purchase option. Unless Garnacho demonstrates significant improvement on the training ground at Bodymoor Heath, he faces an extended period of limited involvement.
Garnacho's situation leaves him in a precarious position, potentially facing a return to Chelsea without a clear future, as his parent club also appears to have no long-term plans for him. The coming weeks will be crucial in defining his future in English football, with Chelsea needing to find a new club for him if Villa rejects the purchase option.
