Dean Saunders Slams Alejandro Garnacho After Surprise' Aston Villa Signing

In a cramped media room at Villa Park, former striker Dean Saunders leaned into the microphone, his voice sharp as he described the arrival of Alejandro Garnacho as a "surprise" that left him unconvinced. The former Aston Villa forward, now on loan from Chelsea, has barely featured, prompting Saunders to question the club's recruitment logic.

Signing sparks criticism

"If I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of Alejandro Garnacho and his attitude," Saunders said, recalling the Argentine’s brief spell at Manchester United before a £40 million move to Chelsea. Villa’s loan includes a conditional obligation to buy that, according to reports, is easily achievable. Saunders noted that Villa have previously chased high‑profile forwards such as Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, yet neither stayed permanently.

The club also tried a similar loan with Harvey Elliott last summer; the Liverpool forward spent most of the campaign frozen out and eventually returned to Anfield. Saunders argued that talent alone does not guarantee success, pointing to his own experience of playing alongside hard‑working teammates at Bradford.

Limited minutes raise doubts

Garnacho has logged just 31 minutes of action for Villa this term, his last appearance coming on 5 September against Hull City. Since then he has been an unused substitute, and manager Unai Emery has yet to reward him with further minutes. Emery told the forward to "continue working, work, train, work" and warned that other players – 19‑year‑old George Hemmings, Alysson, and Ibrahim Mbaye – are currently ahead in the pecking order.

Emery added that Garnacho is "a little bit behind because of some circumstances we had in pre‑season" and urged patience. The Argentine, 22, previously dazzled with an overhead kick against Everton while at Manchester United, but his lack of game time at Villa suggests the issue may lie with his own preparation.

Media profile of Alan Beavis

Action Images / Alan Walter James Beavis is a Senior Editor at GIVEMESPORT and has worked in the online football media industry for more than 10 years, having graduated with a Sports Journalism degree from Southampton Solent University in 2012. His biography gives a clear timeline of his ten‑year media career and his 2012 graduation.

James joined Football FanCast in 2016 after a three‑year spell at Shoot Magazine, rising from freelance writer to editor before moving to GMS in 2020. He has also developed strong working relationships with top‑tier journalists such as Fabrizio Romano, Dharmesh Sheth and Ben Jacobs, regularly chatting to them as part of an exclusives initiative.