‘Aston Villa to turn their back on Man United ace Garnacho’ as Monchi opens talks
Aston Villa’s pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho has emerged as one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer at Villa Park.
The Manchester United ace has fallen badly out of favour at Old Trafford, and the Villans have outlined themselves as a potential suitor for the youngster.
United’s demands have proven to be an issue for Villa, who are facing difficulties over their ability to comply with PSR restrictions.
Monchi faces the battle of trying to strengthen Unai Emery’s squad as much as possible for the upcoming campaign, but also ensuring the club doesn’t continue to toe the line with a possible financial penalty or points deduction.
Aston Villa to eye Pepe deal with Porto
Garnacho made his intentions clear recently by posting a photo of himself wearing a Villa shirt with Marcus Rashford’s name on the back, and that seems like it will be the final straw for him in Manchester.
It has been suggested that United will now be willing to accept a bid lower than their original asking price in order to get rid of the 20-year-old, but their initial demands were so substantial that it would still be a very expensive transfer for the Villans.
As such, it makes sense for Monchi to assess other possible options and he now appears to have identified one in Porto winger Pepe.
The Brazilian is drawing plenty of interest from Premier League sides, and Villa are already understood to have opened talks with the winger, according to ESPN in Brazil (27 June).
Pepe has spent the last four years in the Portuguese league, and considering his age and lack of experience in top European leagues, he would surely be a significantly more cost-effective option than Garnacho.
Given the B6 outfit’s current situation, it surely wouldn’t be prudent for them to push through deals for both widemen, which could easily mean that Monchi has turned his back on Garnacho.
Pepe could be a shrewd addition for Villa
Villa will need a fresh addition on the flank as Leon Bailey looks set for an exit, and their pursuit of Rashford is seemingly on a hiding to nothing.
Pepe would undoubtedly be a much less glamorous signing than Garnacho would be, but the former Gremio man looks to be the type of player who can often end up proving to be a bargain in the Premier League.
| Season | Apps | Goals | Assists |
| 2024/25 | 45 | 6 | 4 |
| 2023/24 | 50 | 8 | 8 |
| 2022/23 | 55 | 5 | 10 |
| 2021/22 | 41 | 6 | 4 |
| Total | 191 | 25 | 26 |
He has a consistent record of producing goal contributions in the Portuguese top flight, and could be ready to make the step up to a major European league.
Ultimately, Pepe may not have been Villa’s first-choice target when they first began plotting their summer window, but he could turn into a very sensible option with the way their situation has unfolded.
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