Alejandro Garnacho transfer news: Aston Villa agree deal with Chelsea for winger | football news

Aston Villa have agreed a deal to sign Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea.

Arrange for a loan with a conditional obligation to purchase, which is easily attainable.

The total package, including the loan fee, is understood with Chelsea’s valuation.

According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea want £42.6 million for the winger.

Garnacho joined Chelsea from Manchester United for £40m last summer.

The Argentina international winger did not report for pre-season training at Chelsea to allow him to move.

The agreement was reached after a compromise between the two clubs British-record transfer fee £117m for Morgan Rogers to go the other way

Why UEFA rules make Garnacho complicated

contract for Garnacho’s move from Chelsea to Aston Villa was not straightforward.

Both clubs were recently fined by UEFA for breaching financial sustainability rules. They are walking a fine tightrope to avoid heavier sanctions. Last year, Chelsea entered into a four-year settlement agreement with UEFA and therefore adhere to UEFA’s strict financial guidelines despite not being in European competition this season.

Villa were able to make a huge profit by selling Morgan Rodgers to Chelsea. A profit that will go a long way towards ensuring compliance with UEFA and the Premier League’s various financial constraints this season. But the club will need to rebuild their squad after a series of departures to ensure they are ready to compete on all fronts this season.

Garnacho was made available for transfer by Chelsea this summer. Villa were looking for a winger. Unai Emery praises Argentina. A permanent contract would seem straightforward.

However, that would compromise Villa in booking a huge British transfer record fee from Chelsea. This is due to UEFA guidelines which – to simplify slightly – consider that two players moving to opposite sides count as ‘player exchange transactions’ if a) they are completed within 45 days of each other and b) have the same or similar payment obligations, deadlines or dates.

If the Garnacho and Rodgers deals are treated as single player swaps, Villa’s profit in UEFA calculations will be reduced to a net difference in fees. Chelsea wanted £42.6m for Garnacho this summer. It’s easy to see how much of Rogers’ profit will be cut.

So how to buy a loan with an obligation? A process that allows Chelsea to guarantee a permanent sale but circumvents player transfer rules. Sadly, that won’t work either. UEFA is pressing on a number of pre-existing flaws. They consider that if a ‘term is considered virtually certain, the player’s registration must be recognized by both clubs as a permanent transfer from the start of the loan agreement’. Therefore, we still want a player exchange transaction.

So, the deal for Garnacho to join Villa seems to work out for all parties – sort of. Chelsea believe Garnacho’s terms to stay at Villa are ‘easily achievable’.

However, there is still a small risk for the Blues. UEFA is satisfied that there must be sufficient risk in the contract to ensure that a permanent move is not a foregone conclusion from the outset. The Blues will hope there is no repeat of what happened to Harvey Elliott at Villa Park last season. A talented player warms the bench as his major employers see his future sale price drop.

Therefore, it would be a good sight for both Villa and Chelsea to see a resurgent Alejandro Garnacho flying down the left wing in claret and blue.

Is Garnacho the right fit on the left for Aston Villa?

Analysis from Sky Sports’ Callum Bishop:

In a difficult first season for Chelsea, Garnacho struggled to make an impact on an already overcrowded left-hander. The Argentine managed just 1,217 Premier League minutes across his 25 appearances last term, averaging less than 49 minutes per game.

That’s fewer than Rodgers (1,528) and Emiliano Buendia (1,527}) both managed in the same position last season while sharing the left-back workload for Villa.

Their average income was also much higher. Garnacho’s five goal involvements saw him average one every 243 minutes, compared to Rodgers’ record of one involvement every 90 minutes and Buendia’s record of one every 190 minutes.

If Villa bring in Garnacho, it will mean a change in Unai Emery’s system while the Argentine is on the field.

With Buendia and Rodgers, there is a versatility that not only allows them to play on either flank, but also tends to go inside.

Garnacho has previously worked on the right. He scored a goal in the FA Cup Final win for Manchester United against local rivals City. Cut inside though? That’s something you rarely see from a winger.

His tendency is to hug the touchline and stay wide. Doing so means that Emery will have to be flexible with his attacking patterns, or Garnacho will have to show adaptability. Which is more likely?