Former Aston Villa and England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has delivered a scathing verdict on his old club's decision to bring Alejandro Garnacho in on loan from Chelsea this summer, calling the move a "nightmare" and questioning both the player's quality and character.

Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Agbonlahor pulled no punches in his assessment of the Argentine winger, arguing that Garnacho consistently fails to beat defenders one-on-one and lacks the mental toughness required for Unai Emery's demanding setup.

Fear of the full-back

"It's a dream, a nightmare. He's not a good player. Whenever I've watched him, he can't get past the full-back," Agbonlahor said. "In his last five, six games for Chelsea last season, honestly, he would run to the full-back, turn around and pass it back. He was scared to take a player on."

Agbonlahor pointed to Garnacho's recent record at Manchester United and Chelsea — and notably his continued absence from Argentina's national team setup — as evidence that serious questions surround the winger's ability. "There's a reason why he's a Manchester United reject. There's a reason why he's a Chelsea reject. There's a reason why he was not even called up to Argentina for the World Cup when they've got a lack of wingers," he said.

Ego without the talent

The former striker did not hold back when assessing Garnacho's perceived sense of self-importance, drawing a brutal comparison. "From his career that I followed at Manchester United, he's got the ego of Ronaldo or Messi, but he hasn't got the talent of David Bellion that used to play at Manchester United 20 years ago," Agbonlahor added.

Beyond pure ability, Agbonlahor raised concerns about how Garnacho might affect Aston Villa's dressing room, which he praised as one of the club's greatest strengths. He cited Morgan Rogers as an example of a player who has integrated seamlessly, and warned against introducing what he described as a "bad egg."

"Everything you hear about Garnacho — throwing his arms up when he's coming off, the way he left Manchester United — do you want a bad egg going into a changing room?" he asked.

Emery the last hope

Despite his overwhelming criticism, Agbonlahor acknowledged one possible saving grace: the manager himself. "If there's any manager who can sort him out, then it's Unai Emery," he conceded — a rare note of optimism in an otherwise damning assessment of Aston Villa's summer recruitment.