Alejandro Garnacho scored his first Aston Villa goal in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Southampton during the international break, giving the former Manchester United winger a confidence boost after a frustrating start to his loan spell.
Frustrating start at Villa Park
Garnacho has yet to make a start under Unai Emery, appearing only as a substitute and accumulating 31 minutes of Premier League action this season. He was an unused substitute in Villa's 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Coventry City.
After leaving him out of the side, Emery delivered a clear message to the youngster: "Continue working. Work, work, train, work. When he can have minutes to play, try to play well. He is progressing, but we have players in front of him now."
Competition for places
Those players include academy prospects George Hemming, Ibrahim Mbaye and Alysson, all of whom have featured in recent matches while Garnacho has watched from the stands. There has been speculation he could follow a similar path to Harvey Elliott, who spent last season on loan at Villa from Liverpool, making just five Premier League appearances, only one as a starter.
Garnacho remained at the club during the international break and was handed an opportunity in the friendly against Southampton. He seized his chance, scoring the only goal in a performance that will have done his hopes of breaking into Emery's plans no harm.
Conditional obligation to buy
The strike could prove a turning point as Garnacho looks to establish himself at Villa Park and avoid a similarly frustrating loan spell. Elliott struggled for opportunities under Emery, who avoided using the Liverpool loanee regularly because a permanent transfer would have been triggered after 10 appearances.
Villa hold a conditional obligation to buy Garnacho at the end of the season for around £43million if certain clauses are met. The forward left United last summer, joining Chelsea in a £40m move after his relationship with former head coach Ruben Amorim broke down.
There were hopes the switch to Stamford Bridge would reignite his career, but Garnacho struggled to make a significant impact in west London. Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League and missed out on European football, while the winger found regular opportunities difficult to come by.
United will be keeping a close eye on Garnacho's progress at Villa Park. If Villa trigger the clause to make his move from Chelsea permanent, Michael Carrick's side would be due a windfall of around £300,000 thanks to the 10 per cent sell-on clause negotiated as part of his move to Stamford Bridge.
