Alejandro Garnacho aims brutal swipe at Chelsea after making Aston Villa debut on pre-season tour

Garnacho made his first appearance in an Aston Villa shirt as Unai Emery’s side kicked off their pre-season tour with a comfortable 3-1 victory over the Indonesia All Stars at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. The 22-year-old was handed a starting role on the left flank and featured for 45 minutes before being replaced at the interval in a game that saw Emi Buendia, Ross Barkley, and Brian Madjo get on the scoresheet.

The winger is looking to revitalise his career following a £40 million move from Manchester United to Chelsea that failed to spark into life. Despite his struggles for consistency in London, Villa boss Emery clearly believes the youngster can be a difference-maker for his side this term.

Following the match, Garnacho took to Instagram to share his thoughts on the debut, but his choice of words has raised eyebrows among the Chelsea faithful. Alongside a photo from the match in Indonesia, the Argentine international wrote on his Instagram story: "See you soon Bangkok. First start after three months. Happy to be enjoying football again. One per cent every day. Thanks Indonesia!"

Instagram

Garnacho’s move to the Villa Park is a season-long loan deal, but it contains a significant £43 million conditional obligation-to-buy clause based on appearance milestones. In his first interview since joining the club, the winger was candid about why he felt the need to leave Chelsea.

"I think it's also important to play European competitions," he said. "I was looking for a club to get confidence and try to be the player that I was like years ago from my first years ago at Manchester United.

"Joining to play in the Champions League also is important to be part of this and Champions League is the best. We're going to play it this season. I'm really happy and hopefully we can do something important."

The influence of Emery was also a deciding factor in the Argentine choosing Villa over other potential suitors this summer. Garnacho revealed that the Spanish tactician played a major role in convincing him to make the switch to Villa Park, explaining that Emery "gave me that confidence, that confidence to be here."

That admiration is clearly mutual, with the Villa manager quick to express his enthusiasm for securing the Argentine winger. Speaking to club media, Emery praised Garnacho’s talent and desire to join the club: "We are delighted with Alejandro. He is so talented, young, and he showed us his wish to help our project. We are really happy."

The focus has since shifted to integrating these new additions on the pitch. Following the friendly in Jakarta, Emery remained optimistic about the team's progression and the integration of new signings.

"We are happy and we are feeling comfortable here," Emery told VillaTV. "After the first two weeks, we did our work in Birmingham. Now this camp is being important, how we are going to get fit, to adapt with the new players... I want to tell all our supporters: we are coming back again with a new spirit, a new chapter we will do this year. Really, I am excited."