Aston Villa told how much to pay for Marco Asensio as Emery pushes for PSG deal
Aston Villa knew what they were getting with Marco Asensio when they signed him from Paris Saint-Germain, but even Unai Emery must be surprised.
The out-of-favour PSG star has seen Luis Enrique’s loss become Villa’s gain, as Emery prepares to meet his former side in the Champions League quarter-finals in the coming weeks.
Of course, that also sees Asensio reunite with Enrique and his parent club, a massive opportunity to show the French champions what they’re missing even despite their superb recent form.
The Holte End have been wowed by Asensio’s performances since arriving on a straight loan deal at Villa Park, from which thousands are now hoping a permanent transfer can be agreed for a player with a little over a year remaining on his PSG contract.
Asensio permanent deal laid out
Whether Asensio joins Aston Villa permanently in the summer comes down to several different factors.
The attacking midfielder has just returned to Bodymoor Heath from Spanish international duty as the FA Cup quarter-final tie at Preston North End looms this Sunday (30 March).
Asensio fired both goals in the previous round against Cardiff City at Villa Park (28 February), but Villa fans are pacified by the fact there is no buy option in the man-of-the-moment’s loan deal.
This saved the Villans from paying a loan fee, according to The Times journalist Duncan Castles; however it also provides a further obstacle in striking the permanent agreement PSG want.
Asensio is reportedly earning £7.5million per year (£144,000-a-week), a cost Enrique’s side want off the books, but would settle for as little as £16.7million for the 29-year-old due to his deal expiring in 2026.
“Asensio has had an incredible start with seven goals in eight games, despite starting just three of those. He’s been very effective off the bench,” Castles told the Transfers Podcast (27 March, 47:10).
“Emery knew what he was getting with Asensio having fallen out with Luis Enrique and needed game time. Villa didn’t pay a loan fee which has meant no option to buy, just covering his salary and seeing how it goes. Hopefully Asensio would then have a great half-season and PSG could maximise his return in the summer.
“He has one year left on his contract. At present, PSG would be looking for 20-25million euros (£16.7-20.8million). They don’t have an offer as yet; they’re confident Emery will push Villa to make the deal permanent. One element that’s very important is his salary, because PSG signed him as a free agent on a three-year deal. His salary is 9million euros (£7.5million) net – a complicated sum for Villa to add to their wage bill.”
Aston Villa simply need European football to cover player costs
From the outside, Aston Villa are such an entertaining club to watch. Not just on the pitch, but their business attitude is fascinating.
Villa commit a whopping 96 per cent of their annual revenue to salaries (Deloitte Money League 2025). It means while supporters have a right to be incensed about ticket price hikes in the Champions League, the funds are reinvested into building a squad to compete at that very same elite level.
By contrast, Tottenham Hotspur commit just 42 per cent of their income in the same area – it’s little wonder supporters in North London are protesting on the weekly.
The sale of Jhon Duran, however, was the driving enabler of the loans for Asensio and Marcus Rashford, who is certainly on a pretty penny himself and the duo’s wages are being paid almost in full from Villa Park (Asensio in full, majority of Rashford’s).
| Marco Asensio – Aston Villa | |
| Appearances | 8 |
| Goals | 7 |
Without European football, permanent deals for players of Asensio’s calibre will struggle to be bankrolled – luckily for Villa, Emery has three shots at obtaining it via the trio of competitions in which they remain.
It makes Sunday at Deepdale a massive cup tie for those in claret and blue, not just for the plucky final remaining Championship side.