Former Aston Villa scout Bryan King has said he would not have signed Alejandro Garnacho, criticising the winger's attitude and questioning his future at the club. Garnacho arrived on loan from Chelsea in the summer with a conditional obligation to buy for around £42 million, but has failed to play a single minute in Villa's last four matches.
King, a former senior scout for the club, was unequivocal in his assessment. "I wouldn't have signed him," he said. "I would not have brought him to the football club." He pointed to Garnacho's past behaviour at Manchester United and Chelsea as a red flag, suggesting a pattern of issues. "When a side's been playing as indifferent as what Villa have been playing and he still hasn't got in the team, then there's obviously something going on behind the scenes as far as I'm concerned," King added.
Garnacho's Villa absence
The 22-year-old has been completely absent from the matchday squad recently, falling behind new signing Johan Manzambi and academy graduate George Hemmings in the pecking order. This lack of involvement comes as Unai Emery's side sits 16th in the Premier League with just four points from their opening five games, a position detailed in the club's standings.
Loan deal in doubt
With Garnacho's impact non-existent, there is now discussion over the possibility of terminating the loan agreement when the January transfer window opens. Both Villa and Chelsea would need to agree to any cancellation. The situation draws parallels with Harvey Elliott's loan from Liverpool last season, which saw the midfielder make only nine appearances before returning to Anfield.
Further criticism of Garnacho's mentality has come from former Manchester United midfielder Nicky Butt, who labelled the player's attitude during his time at Old Trafford a "disgrace." This external scrutiny adds to the growing pressure on a signing that has yet to justify its potential cost.
Aston Villa will look to build on their recent 3-2 win at Tottenham when they host high-flying Brentford on 10 October. Garnacho's involvement, or lack thereof, in that key home fixture will be closely monitored by supporters concerned about the squad's fixtures ahead. The club's recruitment team now faces a decision on whether to persist with a costly gamble or cut their losses early.
This story first appeared at Football Insider
