News, goals, and analysis – only on the official A BOLA app. Aston Villa is in advanced negotiations to secure the signing of Chelsea winger Alejandro Garnacho, according to The Athletic. The proposed deal consists of an initial one-season loan with a conditional obligation to buy, although details are still being finalized and, at this stage, nothing is agreed upon. Unai Emery is a big admirer of the 22-year-old player, having already shown interest in the forward last summer before he transferred from Manchester United to London. This time, it was the Spanish coach himself who pushed for the transfer, the same source claims. Despite interest from Roma, Aston Villa believes that, through Emery’s influence, they can convince the player to join the club. This potential transfer is a separate process from the deal that will bring Morgan Rogers to Stamford Bridge for a record fee of €137 million. It is worth noting that Aston Villa has already secured the record signing of Johan Manzambi from Freiburg this month, who is seen as the direct replacement for Rogers. With that position secured, attention has turned to signing a winger. Ibrahim Mbaye from PSG and Crysencio Summerville from West Ham are other options, but the Dutchman is already on his way to Al Hilal for €80 million. The Argentine international, who joined Chelsea last summer from Manchester United for €47 million, has been given permission by new coach Xabi Alonso not to report for the start of pre-season in order to facilitate his departure from the club. In the 2025/26 season, Garnacho struggled to establish himself as a starter, making only 22 starts across all competitions (14 in the Premier League), in which he scored eight goals. Signing a player from Chelsea in this transfer window presents a dilemma for Aston Villa due to UEFA rules. A permanent transfer would be considered a ‘player swap transaction,’ which would reduce Villa’s substantial profit from the sale of Morgan Rogers to the net value of the difference between the fees paid for Rogers and Garnacho. The UEFA rule on player swaps covers a 45-day period. One solution to circumvent this issue is precisely the arrangement being negotiated for Garnacho: a loan that can become permanent under certain conditions. If Garnacho’s permanent transfer occurs more than 45 days after the completion of the Rogers deal, Villa could retain the full profit from the sale. Chelsea, in turn, would also benefit, as they could register the profit from Garnacho’s sale without the need for adjustments, something crucial given that they are also under a settlement agreement with UEFA. However, UEFA is vigilant about potential loopholes in the rules. The regulation stipulates that if a condition is ‘considered practically certain,’ the deal must be registered as a permanent transfer from the start of the loan. On the other hand, if the fulfillment of the condition cannot be assessed with certainty, clubs can register the operation as a loan and subsequently as a permanent transfer when the condition is met. Although the specific conditions of the agreement are unknown, it is clear that both clubs are interested in ensuring that the permanent transfer materializes later. UEFA will undoubtedly be closely monitoring the process.
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