Aston Villa are reportedly stepping up our pursuit of Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho in a season-long loan deal.
The 22-year-old joined Chelsea from Manchester United last summer, and after contributing 26 goals and 22 assists in 144 appearances for the Red Devils, he registered eight goals and four assists in 43 appearances last season.
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While there is talent and potential there, question marks continue to linger over the Argentine international off the pitch, while he has yet to show the consistency required to set himself apart from the rest and emerge as a real top class winger.
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Nevertheless, he has evidently caught the eye of Unai Emery and Villa, as The Express and Star report that we are now seriously pursuing a loan deal, while it’s specifically added that the Villa boss is a big admirer of Garnacho.
Further, the report adds that we are also still interested in Nicolas Jackson, and so it remains to be seen who we ultimately try to sign.
As with every questionable transfer target linked with the club, there’s an element of simply trusting Emery and his coaching staff that they can get the best out of a player who has perhaps struggled to showcase their best to this point.
That certainly applies to Garnacho, as well as the fact that reports have suggested that he can be a distraction off the pitch too, and so time will tell if he is indeed our priority target to bolster our attacking options with a loan deal the sensible formula so he can prove himself in a Villa shirt first or merely be a temporary solution.
It comes as Morgan Rogers is set to join Chelsea in a £117m deal, and while we’ve already signed Johan Manzambi as his replacement, Emery is seemingly keen to add more quality in wide areas.
Garnacho would fit the bill on the left flank, but with speculation continuing to link us with other options too, it remains to be seen who eventually secures a move to join us ahead of the new season.