Aston Villa have entered advanced negotiations to complete the signing of Argentine international winger Alejandro Garnacho from Chelsea during the current summer transfer window.
The proposed deal would bring the player in on a one-season loan with a conditional obligation-to-buy clause. Terms remain open to amendment, though, and no final resolution has yet been reached, according to "The Athletic".
Unai Emery drove the move himself. The Villa boss ranks among the biggest admirers of the 22-year-old's abilities, having tried to sign him last summer before his switch to Chelsea from Manchester United, and he is now pushing hard again to get the deal done.
Roma have shown an interest in Garnacho, but Aston Villa's management are confident that Emery's project can convince the player to move to "Villa Park". These negotiations sit on a completely separate track from Morgan Rogers' anticipated transfer to Chelsea for 117 million pounds sterling.
Villa completed a record deal this month by signing Johan Manzambi from Freiburg as a direct replacement for Rogers. The focus then turned to strengthening the wing positions. Options on the table included Ibrahim Mbaye from Paris Saint-Germain and Crysencio Summerville from West Ham, before the scales tipped in Garnacho's favour.
Chelsea's new manager Xabi Alonso gave the Argentine winger permission to be absent from the start of pre-season training camp, allowing him to settle on his new destination. Garnacho had joined Chelsea last summer from Manchester United in a deal worth 40 million pounds sterling, but he struggled to secure a starting place during the 2025-2026 season. He featured in only 22 matches across all competitions, 14 of them in the Premier League, and scored eight goals.
The Atlético Madrid academy graduate had scored 26 goals in 144 matches with Manchester United before his appearances declined under manager Ruben Amorim. He left Old Trafford with a painful ending during which he admitted to making some mistakes. On the international front, Garnacho has eight appearances with the senior Argentina national team, and made the preliminary 55-man squad for the World Cup without being included in the final list.
Rogers, meanwhile, is preparing to sign a six-year contract with the option of a one-year extension at Chelsea. The 117 million pounds sterling fee is a record in Chelsea's history, surpassing the 106 million pounds sterling they paid for Enzo Fernández from Benfica in 2023.