Will Emery's gamble on Chelsea flop Garnacho prove a masterstroke?

The Argentine, 22, joined the Villans on a season-long loan on Thursday after a campaign to forget with Chelsea.

Eyebrows were raised last September when the Blues signed Garnacho from Manchester United for £40million.

It was a lofty fee for a player who had failed to perform consistently at Old Trafford and his arrival in West London was greeted by a mixed reaction from Chelsea fans.

But with Villa reportedly obligated to buy him next summer, Garnacho knows he cannot afford to let Emery down.

He said: “I was looking for a club to get confidence at and to try to be the player I was in my first years at Manchester United.

“I spoke with the manager and I think he will give me the confidence to be here and to help the team.”

Despite making 43 appearances for the Blues, Garnacho managed just eight goals and four assists.

Those numbers are unlikely to inspire the Villa faithful, who are still coming to terms with the departure of England star Morgan Rogers.

But Emery is convinced Garnacho can prove his critics wrong — and has handed him the No 17 shirt. 

He said: "We are delighted with Alejandro. He is so talented, young and he showed us his wish to help our project. We are really happy."

Capped eight times by his country, Garnacho has shown glimpses of the ability required to be a star in the Premier League.

But unlocking that talent to perform on a regular basis has so far evaded him.

Garnacho added: “I spoke with Unai before I came here and he gave me confidence. That’s why I’m here.

“It’s important to play in European competitions. The Champions League is the best one, so we’re going to play in that this season.

“I’m really happy about that and hopefully we can do something important.”

Emery has rolled the dice on a player who could be a huge hit or turn out to be little more than a benchwarmer. The Villans will hope it turns out to be the former.

DAZN/FIFA

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