Chelsea insiders admit they did not expect to see Garnacho again once he completed his season-long loan to Villa, with the club expecting the move to result in a permanent departure.
He moved during the summer with a £42 million permanent transfer part of the agreement, although it remains unclear how many appearances the Argentine needs to make for the switch to become long-term.
Chelsea sources say there was an expectation Garnacho could struggle to immediately establish himself as a regular under Unai Emery, but also hope that he would grow into the season and ultimately do enough to make his move to Villa permanent.
Garnacho’s slow start at Villa will have made uncomfortable viewing for Chelsea. The 22-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game and has featured just three times from the bench, accumulating little more than half an hour of league action. He was also left unused in Villa’s midweek Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City.
There is still an insistence at both Chelsea and Villa that Garnacho can make the move work, with Villa's official position that no decision has been made on his future and that he retains every opportunity to earn a permanent move.
However, other sources suggest Garnacho faces a significant battle to win over the coach and change the current picture. A radical improvement in his form and application in training is potentially required to move ahead of those competing for his position.
At present, George Hemmings, Alysson, Ibrahim Mbaye, John McGinn and Emiliano Buendia would all expect to be ahead of Garnacho in the pecking order.
Emery was asked about the situation with Garnacho this week, and told reporters: "He has to continue working. He is progressing but we have players in front of him right now. It is time to be patient for the time he needs."
Chelsea will be hoping Garnacho can turn around his Villa career as they did not expect to see him back at the club. If Villa do not complete the permanent deal, Chelsea would make a fresh attempt to find a way to move the winger elsewhere rather than bringing him back into their plans.
Garnacho's situation is one of the more intriguing transfer stories of the season. He still has time to change the picture at Villa, but the battle to revive his career is ongoing.
Dean Jones has been a transfer news and football insider for Flashscore since 2025, as well as a journalist for leading UK newspapers and websites over the past 20 years, establishing himself as an authoritative and trusted voice in the industry.
