Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho has joined Aston Villa on a season-long loan from Chelsea, moving to a Champions League club after a difficult campaign at Stamford Bridge.

The 22-year-old completed the switch on Thursday, just days after Aston Villa sold Morgan Rogers to Chelsea for a record fee for an English player.

Garnacho, who previously represented Spain at youth level before choosing Argentina, was left out of Argentina’s World Cup squad. He has made eight appearances for the national team, including during their victorious 2024 Copa América campaign while he was still a Manchester United player.

The winger spent only one season at Chelsea following his £40 million ($53 million) move from Manchester United. His arrival coincided with a turbulent period for the club, with coaches Enzo Maresca and Liam Rosenior losing their jobs as Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League despite winning the 2025 Club World Cup.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are preparing for their fifth season under manager Unai Emery after securing a fourth-place league finish and winning the Europa League title.

Elsewhere in the Premier League, Nottingham Forest signed Austria midfielder Xaver Schlager on a two-year contract as a free agent after his deal with Leipzig expired.

The 28-year-old Schlager started all four of Austria’s matches at the World Cup and will reunite with coach Oliver Glasner, whom he previously worked with at Wolfsburg.

"This was another big reason why I wanted to come here," Schlager said after completing the move.

The midfielder is expected to help fill the gap left by England international Elliot Anderson, who joined Manchester City earlier this month. Anderson’s transfer briefly became a record fee for an English player before Chelsea broke the mark by signing Rogers.