Alejandro Garnacho seems to take a little playful jab at Chelsea after his first game with Aston Villa
Alejandro Garnacho says he’s “happy to be enjoying football again” after making his long-awaited debut for Aston Villa. Some fans think this might be a little dig at his parent club, Chelsea.
The 22-year-old winger has joined Villa on a season-long loan, which reportedly includes a £43 million clause that could make the move permanent depending on how many games he plays.
Last season was tough for Garnacho at Chelsea. Even though he scored eight goals in 43 games after moving from Manchester United for £40 million, he didn’t get as much playing time as he wanted.
After his move to Villa was announced, Garnacho shared his thoughts. “I was looking for a club where I could gain confidence and be the player I was in my early days at Manchester United,” he said when asked why he chose Villa.
On Saturday, Garnacho made his first appearance for Villa during their pre-season tour in the Far East. They won 3-1 against Indonesia All Stars with goals from Emi Buendia, Ross Barkley, and Brian Madjo. Alejandro played on the left wing for 45 minutes before being subbed off at halftime.
The next day, Garnacho posted on his Instagram story about his first game for Villa. Along with a photo from the match, he wrote, “See you soon Bangkok. First start after three months. Happy to be enjoying football again. One per cent every day. Thanks Indonesia.” Some fans thought this was a subtle message aimed at Chelsea.
One Villa fan commented, “Good to see him grateful and ready to face the challenge to get back to his best,” while a Chelsea fan replied, “The feeling was mutual.”
Garnacho will be eager to do better in the coming months, especially since he scored just once in 24 Premier League games last season.
Villa’s manager, Unai Emery, clearly believes in Alejandro’s talent. “He is young and very talented. He showed us he wants to help our project, and we are really happy to have him,” Emery said.
Talking about working with Emery, Garnacho said, “I spoke with Unai before coming here. He gave me confidence, and that’s why I’m here.”
He’ll hope to get more game time soon. Villa’s next matches include games against BG Pathum United on August 4, Bayern Munich on August 7, PSG on August 12, and Borussia Mönchengladbach on August 15.