Alejandro Garnacho aims to replace Di María in Argentina's squad

In the bustling Villa Park press room, Unai Emery was asked about Alejandro Garnacho’s prospects in the Selección Argentina, and his reply was blunt: the 22‑year‑old, a Copa América 2024 champion, has logged only 31 minutes for Aston Villa since leaving Chelsea.

Copa América winner sees limited action

Garnacho arrived at Aston Villa after Chelsea paid a €46 million fee to acquire him from Manchester United. Despite being part of the Argentina squad that lifted the Copa América 2024, he has featured only as a substitute, amassing a mere 31 minutes on the pitch this season.

Before the move, he logged 144 appearances for Manchester United, scoring 26 goals and providing 22 assists, and he helped the club win both the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. His most celebrated moments include a spectacular bicycle‑kick goal against Everton in 2023, which earned the Puskás Award, and a strike in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City.

Loan spell offers no breakthrough

Olé reported that his total involvement this campaign amounts to Apenas 31 minutes, all of them coming from brief cameo appearances. In the Carabao Cup round‑of‑16 victory over Coventry, Emery rotated his squad, yet Garnacho remained on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

After the match, the Spanish manager issued a clear warning: “Tiene que seguir trabajando. Trabajar, trabajar, entrenar, trabajar,” he told reporters, adding that Garnacho must earn his place and that patience is required while other players are ahead of him.

The winger quickly became a social‑media favourite, with English tabloids likening his style to Cristiano Ronaldo’s and fans dubbing him “el Bichito”. Yet the hype has not translated into playing time, and he remains a backup option for the second half of matches.

Scaloni’s doubts grow

Lionel Scaloni first called the Madrid‑born winger in early 2022, hoping he could eventually replace Angel Di María in the Selección Argentina. Garnacho made his senior debut on a FIFA‑date in 2023, a 2‑0 win over Australia, and collected eight caps before being omitted from the squad later that year.

Since his loan to Villa, a pre‑season injury has kept him sidelined, and the deal includes an option to buy that would trigger only if he meets certain performance criteria – criteria that now appear unlikely given his lack of minutes. As a result, his chances of returning to the national team picture remain slim.