Erik ten Hag wanted Alejandro Garnacho at Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2025, but the winger chose to stay in England. The former Manchester United manager has now given a sharp assessment of what Garnacho needs to look his best, and it is hard to separate the praise from the warning.

"He needs a coach, a particular coach, who will give him trust, who will give him love."

Ten Hag's view of Garnacho

Ten Hag said he "regret[s] where he is now" and that he told Garnacho, "Come to Leverkusen." He also said, "But luckily he didn't. He wanted to stay in England," before adding, "I understand, the best league, so he denied." That is the clearest sign of how highly he still rates the forward, even after the pair moved on from Manchester United in different directions.

His bigger point was about how Garnacho has to be handled. Ten Hag described him as "a character" who needs trust and love, but also said he must stay focused and disciplined. He praised the winger as "an amazing player" who can "run all day" at "really high speed," while still producing dribbles, finishing and the final pass.

That mix explains why Garnacho keeps dividing opinion. Ten Hag is not dismissing him, he is spelling out the conditions he thinks are needed to get the best out of him.

Villa's loan pressure

The concern around Aston Villa is more practical. Football Insider reported that Garnacho has played just 22 minutes of Premier League football so far this term, and he has made only four substitute appearances for Villa in total. He has not started a match in any competition, and his loan includes a conditional £43m buy option tied to appearances.

That is where the deal looks shaky. Villa have signed a player with obvious talent, but the early return has been thin, and the appearance-based clause means the financial side only gets heavier if he remains on the fringes. Chelsea are also unhappy with how little he has played, with reports saying they are disappointed and losing patience with the situation.

Ten Hag's comments do not solve that problem, but they do explain why Garnacho still has backing in some circles. The talent is obvious. The question now is whether Villa give him the minutes and the trust to match it, or whether the loan becomes a costly wait.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →