Aston Villa got ready to make big changes after Alejandro Garnacho wasn’t included in the squad for the Man City game.
Aston Villa picked up three points in their Premier League match against Manchester City, winning 2-1. Nicolas Jackson scored twice to help Villa stop Man City’s perfect start to the season.
One big talking point was the absence of Villa’s summer loan signing, Alejandro Garnacho. The club might be thinking about taking tough steps with the Argentina star.
So far this season, Unai Emery has only played Garnacho five times—three in the Premier League and two in the Champions League. But interestingly, he hasn’t started any match and has only played 60 minutes in total. It seems Emery isn’t fully convinced by Garnacho yet, judging by his limited minutes on the pitch.
Now, reports say Villa could cut back on Garnacho’s playing time even more unless he shows big improvement. They might even end his loan early. The reason is that Garnacho’s contract includes a clause that forces Villa to buy him for £43 million if he plays enough games—something the club wants to avoid.
This wouldn’t be the first time Villa has done this. Last season, they limited Harvey Elliott’s games to avoid a similar buying obligation with Liverpool.
Garnacho has had a tough time since breaking into Manchester United’s first team in 2022-23. After a bright start, his form dropped, and Ruben Amorim sent him to the ‘bomb squad’ in 2025, meaning he wasn’t needed anymore. Chelsea believed in his potential and gave him a chance, but after one season, they loaned him to Villa while signing Morgan Rogers.
For Garnacho, this period at Villa could be a turning point. If he can’t get back to good form under Emery, it might be difficult for him to stay at top English clubs in the future.