Despite rumours of Erik ten Hag planning to bring Alejandro Garnacho to Bayer Leverkusen this summer, a fresh report has emerged claiming that Aston Villa have entered the race to sign the Argentina international.
20-year-old winger Garnacho, who famously idolized Cristiano Ronaldo despite being an international teammate of Lionel Messi, enjoyed a breakout 2022-23 season with Manchester United under Erik Ten Hag. The academy graduate later scored in the FA Cup final, in which United beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, sealing his place in the club folklore. However, his time at Old Trafford is now almost certainly over after a fallout with Ten Hag’s successor, Ruben Amorim.
Garnacho and his brother publicly voiced their disappointment over his limited role in the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, which was not taken lightly by the gaffer. Garnacho was dropped from the squad for the final match of the season and was reportedly warned by Amorim that he better pray for a potential buyer to come knocking.
ETH, who was without a job after leaving Manchester United in 2024, was recently hired by Bayer Leverkusen to replace Real Madrid-bound Xabi Alonso. Not long after the news broke, it was revealed that the Dutchman intended to bring Garnacho and Antony to the BayArena. Brazilian winger Antony had previously played under Ten Hag at both Ajax and United.
However, a fresh report claimed that Leverkusen was looking to bring Garnacho on board on a season-long loan deal. United, meanwhile, was more interested in selling the attacker, as they were in dire need of funds.
It was in this context that Aston Villa’s interest in the Argentine became noteworthy. Earlier reports had suggested that Serie A side Napoli was serious about signing him. Antonio Conte was confident he could get the best out of Garnacho, just as he had helped Scott McTominay regain form after leaving Manchester United. Premier League rivals Chelsea were also named as a potential buyer, as they were reportedly unwilling to offer a permanent contract to Jadon Sancho.
According to a Caught Offside report, Unai Emery’s Villa, who finished sixth in the English top tier, is the latest entrant to the race to sign Alejandro Garnacho. Former Real Madrid star Marco Asensio and Garnacho’s teammate Marcus Rashford are at the Villa Park on loan deals. It is highly unlikely that neither will get to continue in Birmingham, forcing Emery to look for alternatives.
With his best years still ahead of him, it is certain that Garnacho is an asset to the club. Garnacho’s market value is estimated at €45 million, less than what Villa spent on their club-record signing Moussa Diaby, who joined the club from Bayer Leverkusen in July 2023 for €61 million.