David de Gea has wished Alejandro Garnacho all the best after the winger completed a season-long loan move to Aston Villa from Chelsea. The deal includes an obligation to make the transfer permanent next summer if certain criteria are met.
Manchester United retain sell-on clause
Manchester United retain a 10% sell-on clause from the £40million deal that saw Garnacho leave Old Trafford less than 12 months ago. Unai Emery, Villa's head coach, said in the club's statement: "We are delighted with Alejandro. He is so talented, young and he showed us his wish to help our project. We are really happy."
Garnacho, 22, posted several photos on Instagram to mark his move, including one posing with Emery and another alongside agent Jorge Mendes. Other images show him in Villa's home shirt with No.17 on the back, the same number he wore during his last two seasons at United. A candid photo shows him aboard a flight from Madrid to Birmingham.
De Gea leads well-wishers
De Gea was the most notable former teammate to comment on the post, writing: "All the best," followed by a flexed bicep emoji. The pair played together 31 times for United, mainly during the 2022/23 season.
Other former colleagues who liked the post include Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ayden Heaven, Brandon Williams, Daniel Gore, Facundo Pellistri, Jesse Lingard, Mason Greenwood, Rasmus Hojlund and Sofyan Amrabat.
Garnacho cites Emery and European football
In his first interview with VillaTV, Garnacho said: "I was looking for a club to get confidence at and to try to be the player I was in my first years at Manchester United. I spoke with the manager, and I think he will give me the confidence to be here and to help the team."
The winger also highlighted Emery and European competition as factors in his decision: "I saw the Europa League last season, and now we're joining the Champions League; it's important to be a part of this. I spoke with Unai before I came here, and he gave me confidence. That's why I'm here."
