Aston Villa have reportedly agreed a €7m deal (plus, add-ons) to sign Andres Garcia from Levante, beating Sporting CP to the 21-year-old right-back.
With the club linked to several right-backs during January, and still in need of a centre-back should a deal for Diego Carlos materialise, Villa had to prioritise a right-back who not only fits their profile but also aligns with their financial constraints under PSR regulations.
The Transfer Battle
Garcia, who had been heavily linked with a move to Sporting CP and had various La Liga team interest, saw his value surge well beyond the £500,000 to £1 million range initially suggested on various football stats sites. Sporting’s interest initially raised the stakes, with Villa swooping in late to seal the deal.
The upfront fee of €7m reportedly includes a sell-on clause, although the exact percentage remains unclear (a reported 15% is questionable considering add-ons and the initial fee). Given Levante’s position, the fee and add-on’s likely made this deal a no-brainer for the Spanish second-tier club, who would have potentially had to sell him in the summer anyway.
Villa’s Right-Back Shortlist
As Villa supporters will know from recent weeks, Garcia wasn’t the only right-back on Villa’s radar. The club had compiled a shortlist that included:
- Oscar Mingueza (Celta Vigo)
- Andrei Ratiu (Rayo Vallecano)
- Wesley Franca (Flamengo)
However, Garcia’s mix of attributes and the fee involved made him a rational option. The 21-year-old offers a profile that mirrors Villa’s most recent full-back acquisitions – Alex Moreno and Ian Maatsen—players with genuine pace, the ability to cut and dart inside, that have a dynamic attacking edge.
A Rising Talent
Garcia has impressed in the Spanish Segunda Division, making 22 appearances this season with three goals and three assists. While his stats highlight his attacking contributions, the question remains whether he can adapt swiftly to the higher intensity and physicality of the Premier League.
Unlike some of Villa’s recent signings, Garcia lacks top-flight experience – he has yet to even play in the top tier of La Liga. So there are question marks in terms of him making an immediate impact on the first team. While for now, he looks more like a mid-term project than a ready-made solution.
Squad Implications
Matty Cash would seem to be the current number one right-back, with Garcia being drip fed minutes over the remainder of the season. Ezra Konsa will also remain very much in the right-back picture in the short-term, if a decent right-sided centre-back comes in.
Garcia’s arrival will likely see 19-year-old right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic head out on loan for the remainder of the season. Nedeljkovic has shown promise, but he is still a teenager and would benefit from regular first-team football elsewhere to aid his development.
Meanwhile, Unai Emery perhaps doesn’t have the instant flexibility he’d want in rotating legitimate attacking full-backs. Yet, if Garcia is a fast learner and relishes playing with better players, then hopefully he’ll slot in as quickly as Moreno did.
Final Thoughts
Villa’s move for Andres Garcia certainly underscores the reality of a strategic approach to squad building, balancing financial prudence with a focus on emerging talent. While the 21-year-old may not have an immediate impact, his pace and attacking potential make him an intriguing addition mid-term. We’ll find out soon enough if Emery considers him close to first team, as he should expect an outing in Villa’s FA Cup game against Spurs, with that tournament potentially pivotal to blooding him in.
Potentially, Emery was forced to go down the list of right-backs in terms of price point to make sure they had wiggle room to get their main priority of a centre-back in.
So far, this window, with the signings of both Andres Garcia and Donyell Malen, Villa have strengthened the match day squad in the short-term, but also have brought in two players with the right age profile for the future too.
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