Chelsea are set to let Alejandro Garnacho leave the club, with Aston Villa interested in signing the forward. The Blues only signed the Argentine from Manchester United last summer in a £40m deal.
£117m Rogers deal triggers Garnacho exit
With Chelsea completing a £117m move for Villa and England star Morgan Rogers, the Blues are now happy to cut Garnacho adrift. Villa have already submitted a loan offer for him, with a conditional buy obligation attached, and are close to finding an agreement. Chelsea initially wanted a permanent deal for the Argentine.
Unai Emery is thought to be a big fan of Garnacho and is hoping to play a role in a career revival. Villa’s interest comes just days after new boss Xabi Alonso admitted that he was happy to let the forward leave.
Alonso said: "Well the situation is that we have spoken with the sporting directors. There is an interest for him [Garnacho] from other clubs. So let's see how this develops. But hopefully, it finishes in the best possible way for other clubs."
Garnacho's Chelsea stint
Garnacho, 22, signed a seven-year deal with Chelsea last summer following his arrival from Old Trafford. He made 43 appearances across his debut season, scoring just eight goals, only one of which came in the Premier League.
Garnacho would arrive at Villa as Rogers’ replacement following his own move to Chelsea. The former Middlesbrough man scored 14 times last term but Paul Merson is not convinced his move to West London is the right one.
Merson said: “It's a lot of money. Crazy money. Bringing Morgan Rogers in for £117m isn't what Chelsea needed. They've got Cole Palmer! They play in the same position! Rogers went to the World Cup instead of Palmer, because they play in the same position.
“Unless Chelsea go for the almighty and sell Enzo Fernandez - and swallow the pill for him, because he's not worth £100m - and then play Moises Caicedo at the base, then Rogers and Palmer both ahead of him.”
He continued: “Rogers has got to carry that price tag around with him. He will sit there and say: 'there is no pressure on me, I didn't pay that fee'. But it's a load of rubbish. Everybody will look at that when you don't do well.
“A lot of people were saying it was too much for Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo when they moved for £100m. But the biggest compliment I can give them is nobody ever mentions it. They were good signings. That's what Rogers has got to hope for.
“But he's got to make things happen, which is a harder position to be in than Rice and Caicedo were. In midfield, you can do this and that - but Rogers will be judged on scoring and creating goals. That's the hardest job in the world.
“I'm also sure that at the start of last season, he was atrocious for Aston Villa. I'm sure he was. Then he came good and then had a good second part of the season. He can't play like that at Chelsea. That is an absolute no-go, it's a different ball game when you go for that kind of money.”
