Aston Villa transfer news: Unai Emery 'blocks' squad member loan exit in clear message to board

By Darren Plant | 20 Jan 2026 11:43

Emery 'blocks' loan exit for Aston Villa squad member in clear message to board

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery has allegedly blocked the loan exit of Andres Garcia.

Emery is receiving widespread plaudits for keeping Villa in the top three of the Premier League table, albeit having missed the chance to close the gap to leaders Arsenal on Sunday.

In the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat to Everton, Emery gave an awkward interview to Sky Sports News, claiming that Villa are not contenders for the top five.

The Spaniard's word came just days after Donyell Malen - who had made 29 appearances this season - was allowed to join Roma on loan with the option to buy.

That transfer was primarily to do with complying with financial regulations, yet it has sufficiently weakened Emery's squad heading into the closing four months of the campaign.

Emery takes firm stance over Garcia

According to Informacion, La Liga side Elche have expressed an interest in signing Garcia on loan for the rest of the season.

However, despite the 22-year-old's lack of game time, Emery is said to have informed Villa officials that he wants his compatriot to stay put.

The report suggests that Emery wants Garcia to help provide depth to his squad when Villa are also competing for silverware in the FA Cup and Europa League.

Garcia, who was signed from Levante 12 months ago, has made just 13 appearances for Villa, with only three outings and 41 minutes coming in 2025-26.

Recent injuries to Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn means that Villa's squad has become increasingly stretched, and Garcia could be in line for Europa League action over the next 10 days.

Villa officials left in no-win situation

First and foremost, Villa officials are bidding to do everything possible to comply with the Premier League's and UEFA's financial rules.

Nevertheless, Emery is seemingly becoming increasingly agitated with regards to his senior options.

While money has been spent on young attackers Alysson and Brian Madjo, they are not ready for Premier League football.

If Kamara and McGinn are ruled out in the long term, though, Villa will need to prioritise a new central midfielder, despite their interest in Tammy Abraham as a replacement for Malen.