Alejandro Garnacho has made only three Premier League appearances for Aston Villa, all from the bench, and he has played just 45 minutes since joining on loan from Chelsea for the season. He has also gone four straight matches without getting on the pitch, which is hardly the start Villa wanted from a player they had signed with a €50 million purchase option if undisclosed conditions are met.

Villa's lack of minutes for Garnacho

Villa have played seven matches and Garnacho has featured in only three of them. The other four have passed without him stepping on to the pitch at all.

That leaves him on 45 Premier League minutes for the club, a small return for a winger brought in to give Unai Emery another attacking option. Emery, speaking to Relevo in comments translated from Spanish, said: "He is a player we have signed for the long term, and we will help him feel comfortable and confident so he can show his quality. We want him to be at his best level."

Why the Villa move looks slow already

The awkward part for Garnacho is that this is not a case of bedding in through steady starts. He has not started a league game, he has not scored, and he has not assisted since arriving at Villa.

The contrast with his time at Manchester United is obvious. He made his debut in April 2022, won the FA Youth Cup with United's youth team, scored against Real Sociedad in the Europa League, hit a late winner against Fulham and played a key role in a Manchester derby against City. He later renewed his United contract until 2028 and went on to win the FA Cup, scoring the first of the two goals against City at Wembley.

Garnacho himself also told Relevo he had "lost the faith". That is not the mood Villa need around a loan signing this early in the season.

Villa's schedule will soon decide whether the situation changes, but the basic numbers already tell the story. Garnacho has 45 Premier League minutes, three substitute appearances and four matches without action, and Emery still has a lot to do before the move looks settled.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →