‘Mega money’ update emerges as Marco Asensio to take wage cut to sign for Aston Villa
Marco Asensio could drop his wage demands to sign for Aston Villa before the transfer deadline.
Asensio initially joined Villa on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in the latter stages of the winter window at Villa Park.
The Spaniard is yet to agree a move elsewhere, with Villa maintaining interest in signing Asensio permanently before the 1 September deadline.
Unai Emery has already showcased his love for Asensio and could welcome the attacking midfielder back to B6, but his wage would represent a concern at this stage.
With that being said, it appears that Asensio himself could take a lower weekly pay in order to once again play under Emery in B6.
This article contains exclusive comments given to Villa News by ex-Premier League midfielder Martin Allen.
Marco Asensio desire for Aston Villa move could shine through
Jorge Mendes, tasked with arranging Asensio’s move to Villa, is yet to succeed but will be hopeful of doing so before the window slams shut.
The difficulty comes with the current financial frailties that Emery has worked against throughout the summer in the Midlands.
In order to comply with UEFA’s Squad Cost Rules, the Villans have to keep their wage bill down, something which the attacking midfielder’s £225k-per-week salary wouldn’t suit.
As a result, former Brentford and Leicester City manager Allen believes Asensio could take a sizable pay cut in order to join Villa permanently.
Speaking exclusively to Villa News, Allen said: “He’s on a lot of money, after tax, he’s currently bringing in around £550k-a-month.
“What sort of wage cut would he take on £550k-a-month?
“Maybe, he could take a £50-per-week cut to around £150k-a-week. It is a scary amount of money, to us, it is mega money.
“The fact that he can come to Villa and start regularly, maybe he would take a sizable drop to do that.“
Marco Asensio and Lucas Paqueta of interest to Aston Villa
It seems clear that the Villans are keen on adding an attacking midfielder to their ranks before the window comes to a close.
This has seen Asensio linked alongside Paqueta, with it seeming unclear which of them, if any, will come through the doors at Bodymoor Heath.
There is no doubt that both these stars would improve Villa, but financial frailties have been a concern more than once already this summer.
| Stat | Marco Asensio | Lucas Paqueta |
| Appearances | 21 | 36 |
| Goals | 8 | 5 |
| Assists | 1 | 0 |
As a result, Villa fans will have to deal with a torturous wait until 7pm on 1 September, where their squad will be finalised.
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