Alejandro Garnacho is struggling to establish himself at Aston Villa since his arrival from Chelsea on loan with a conditional obligation to buy for around £42 million. The 22-year-old hasn't seen a minute of action in the last four matches, losing his place to Johan Manzambi and club academy product George Hemmings.
King was initially sceptical about Garnacho's signing:
I wouldn't have signed him. I wouldn't have brought him to the club. Just look at his attitude at Manchester United and then Chelsea.
Usually, he at least starts brightly, but we haven't seen that at Villa. I just don’t see Garnacho as a Villa player.
Adding to King's concerns is the winger's prolonged absence from the pitch while the team has struggled for consistency:
When the team is playing so inconsistently and he's still not making the cut, it seems to me that something is clearly happening behind the scenes.
When he signed, everyone was smiling and shaking hands. Now, there seem to be fewer smiles and handshakes.
Reports have surfaced that Villa may look to terminate Garnacho's loan early in January, but this would require an agreement between Aston Villa and Chelsea.
Villa previously faced a similar situation with Harvey Elliott. He joined from Liverpool on loan with a purchase clause but played just nine matches before returning to Anfield.
Notably, former United midfielder Nicky Butt has also been critical of Garnacho, commenting on the winger's attitude during his time at Manchester United:
The best thing United did was sell him. Even ignoring his on-field ability, which I don't find outstanding, his attitude at United was simply dreadful.
In our day, with that behaviour in training, he would have been swiftly put in his place. He would have been dealt with firmly, but he would have learned and improved.
As it stands, there's no confirmation of any conflict between Garnacho and the Aston Villa hierarchy or coaching staff. King's comments reflect his assessment of the situation given the Argentine's absence from the squad.
