‘Aston Villa now ready for Asensio permanent transfer after Villa Park scenes’
Aston Villa are well in the mix at the top table now having reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in style in midweek.
Villa’s elimination of Club Brugge was notable for yet another superb impact from Marco Asensio, who this time came off the bench at the break to put the Belgians to the sword.
The Spaniard already has seven goals to his name since arriving at Aston Villa from PSG in an exciting loan deal, having also struck up a partnership with fellow high-profile loan recruit Marcus Rashford.
Aston Villa and PSG ‘discussion’ over permanent Asensio deal
Aston Villa have taken to Champions League football like a duck to water this season – you would never know as an outsider the 40-year-plus absence the Villans fans have suffered away from the leading European competition.
Villa and Asensio’s parent club PSG will now meet in the quarters, which will be played in April after the Parisians knocked out Liverpool on penalties on Tuesday night.
The French champions cannot enjoy any ineligibility benefit of Asensio’s loan with Champions League rules allowing him to face his contracted side, which is a huge relief given how well the Spaniard has performed for compatriot Unai Emery since arriving across the Channel.
Former Aston Villa goalkeeper Shay Given and French journalist Julian Laurens discussed how PSG could potentially accommodate the sale of Asensio in the summer.
“[Emery] made the subs at half-time and there was definitely a spark straight away,” Given said on BBC Match of the Day (12 March).
“Asensio has been a revelation with seven goals in five games. He’s lit Villa Park up, he’s a special player. But he’s not signed permanently and [right now] there’s no deal to do in the summer.”
“I think there with be a discussion between PSG and Aston Villa on a permanent transfer,” Laurens added.
“I’m not sure if they can sign both Asensio and Marcus Rashford. The only thing missing for him at Real Madrid and PSG was the consistency that he’s having so far [at Villa]. Villa won the transfer window.”
Asensio and Rashford have brought excitement to Villa Park
Alongside the boost that Asensio can feature in the next round, he has been an absolute whirlwind for Aston Villa since arriving.
Clearly keen to prove he is an elite attacking player, Asensio has done just that while lifting Villa to a new level in terms of performances.
Joining alongside Rashford in January, the two of them have injected much-needed life into a squad under Emery who are still fighting on three fronts and need all the stamina and adrenaline they can use.
| Marco Asensio – professional career | Appearances | Goals |
| Mallorca B | 14 | 3 |
| Mallorca (loan) | 56 | 7 |
| Espanyol | 37 | 4 |
| Real Madrid | 286 | 61 |
| PSG | 47 | 7 |
| ASTON VILLA | 8 | 7 |
| SPAIN national team | 38 | 2 |
Rashford is still awaiting his first goal in claret and blue, but one would sense it’s not far off – even with Emery regularly feeling forced to rotate his side with how busy the schedule has been.
Villa sit eighth in the Premier League table, within touching distance of the top four and five – albeit having played a game more than the sides around them in the race to return to the Champions League.