Aston Villa could smash transfer record to seal Garnacho’s perfect signing

Aston Villa could have felt sorry for themselves after selling Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for £117m, but there’s no question that Unai Emery has struck a golden deal after several fantastic years with the Three Lions attacker.

Rogers, 23, helped Aston Villa to the Europa League title last year, instrumental since joining from Middlesbrough for just £8.5m in January 2024.

That’s some profit. The Villa have won European gold and would have qualified for the Champions League anyway after finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Alejandro Garnacho has not hit the same beats as Rogers over the past couple of years, but the 21-year-old is still an elite prospect, and Emery could unlock his full capacity.

Why Garnacho can become a superstar at Aston Villa

Aston Villa have not wasted any time. The Midlands side, having opened a line of communication with Chelsea, have agreed a loan deal to sign Garnacho, with a conditional buy option inserted.

Garnacho, Argentina international (though absent at the World Cup), did not enjoy the 2025/26 campaign that he would have envisaged when packing his bags at Manchester United and joining Chelsea. He only scored once in the Premier League, and his starting opportunities were infrequent.

But there is so much natural talent coursing within this one, and Emery’s man management skills could see him brought to the fore, reunlocked and unleashed as one of English football’s most talented young wingers.

With Jadon Sancho’s loan spell over, and Rogers heading to Stamford Bridge, Garnacho is a shrewd signing indeed, though his travails in the capital last term do suggest that Villa need more security from an attacking standpoint.

Who to sign, though? Aston Villa couldn’t raid Chelsea for another of their forwards this summer, could they?

Aston Villa in talks to sign Garnacho’s dream partner

Rogers is a powerful and, at times, unstoppable runner. He will be missed at Villa Park, but his departure isn’t the be-all and end-all. Aston Villa need more, and they could find the man they are looking for in another Chelsea straggler.

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa and Chelsea have remained in talks to discuss the possibility of Nicolas Jackson joining Emery’s project this summer. Jackson spent last season with Bayern Munich, but the Germans opted against finalising a permanent deal after his loan move.

Now, though, Villa could pounce. But Chelsea do value the Senegalese striker at a whopping £65m, a figure that would eclipse the club’s recent record deal for Johan Manzambi.

As for the Blues, while Xabi Alonso is open to giving the 25-year-old a chance over pre-season, he would prefer to explore his options, leaving the door open for the Villa.

Ollie Watkins will remain as Aston Villa’s focal frontman next season, but the England international, 30, ebbed and flowed last year, and Jackson could be the perfect foil.

Jackson has faced his critics in the past, and while he still needs to work on his accuracy in front of goal, he is a multi-faceted attacker, endowed with speed and athleticism and fuelled with a ferociousness that Emery could grab onto and will into something first-class.

Despite his clear flaws, Jackson is still a “special” striker, as has been noted by journalist Rahman Osman, so dynamic and dangerous across a range of areas.

He did not play with Garnacho at Stamford Bridge last year, instead playing out the campaign at the Allianz Arena in Munich, but Jackson could strike a fantastic partnership with the fleet-footed winger, whose swagger and X-factor on the ball once saw him likened to a young Cristiano Ronaldo during his early Man United days.

His direct and high-intensity style could feed into Jackson’s own strengths. It could be a match made in heaven, allowing the latter to work on his wider attacking game and ease the goalscoring responsibility on his shoulders.

The fact that the two players bring different slants to the same attacking problem could bear dividends for the wider fluency and success of Emery’s team. Think of them as interlocking joints, tongue-and-groove parts connecting to apply pressure in the final third – supported from behind by the likes of Johan Manzambi and Joao Gomes, both arriving at Aston Villa this summer.

Jackson might be regarded as an up-and-down striker, but he scored 24 goals and supplied ten assists across two years in the Premier League, and if Emery makes a few tweaks, he might just develop into a superstar.