Aston Villa is at risk of falling from the top to the abyss with just one incomprehensible transfer decision.
Perhaps coach Unai Emery believes that he can unlock Alejandro Garnacho's restrained potential. Otherwise, it is difficult to explain why the Spanish strategist thinks Garnacho is a worthy replacement for Morgan Rogers.
But Emery's biggest mistake probably lies in the fact that he convinced himself that Garnacho is a truly excellent player.
There are many reasons why Garnacho was not called up to the Argentine national team to participate in this summer World Cup. That is his attitude in training, approach to the match, and excessive obsession with social media. According to some sources, Argentina is concerned about Garnacho's ability to negatively affect the atmosphere in the team and the dressing room.
Emery is famous for his ability to revive players who seemed to be out of time. Marcus Rashford or Marco Asensio are typical examples. However, this time, Emery seems to be facing a challenge beyond his ability.
When Chelsea spent 40 million pounds to recruit Garnacho from Manchester United last summer, there was information that co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was extremely satisfied with this deal.
Man United not only earned a significant amount of money but also parted ways with a player who was said to have contributed to creating a negative atmosphere in the dressing room at Old Trafford. Garnacho is considered a symbol of the period when the team was too indulgent of young talents, possessing a big ego but not yet showing commensurate talent.
However, Aston Villa fans can hardly be optimistic when the team recruits the Argentine player. Garnacho always creates the feeling of a player with ambitions far beyond his actual ability. He was once attracted by the glory in London, but has never proven himself to be classy enough to shine.
After a total of 117 appearances in the Premier League for Man United and Chelsea, Garnacho has only scored 17 goals. When Chelsea decided to bring Garnacho to Stamford Bridge, Man United may have lost a potential player, but at the same time also eliminated a controversial factor. That deal partly reflects how Chelsea accepts to bet on strong personalities.
Now, Emery is about to enter that "trap". It seems he does not see what many people in the football world realize. The success of a team does not only come from talent but also depends on cohesion in the dressing room. And Emery is at risk of bringing to Villa Park a player considered the source of trouble.
What Garnacho does best is not to make a difference on the pitch, but to make coaches face pressure and the risk of losing their jobs. If this trend continues at Villa Park, Emery will probably only know how to blame himself.
