After failing to secure Champions League football at the end of last season, Aston Villa would have been looking for a strong summer in which they could springboard and start the new campaign strongly. Yet, things have not really worked out like that for Unai Emery’s side.
As well as signing young centre-back Yasin Ozcan from Turkish side Kasimpasa, the only other first-team addition has been Evann Guessand. The Ivorian striker made the move to the West Midlands from French side OGC Nice for a fee in the region of £25.9m, and is the marquee signing of the summer so far.
Now, with the Premier League season a matter of days away, Villa are targeting a new attacker to add to their ranks.
Villa’s potential next signing
After bringing Guessand to the club this summer, it appears Emery wants to strengthen further in attack. They were previously linked with Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho, although new reports have emerged about another target in forward areas.
According to a report from Simon Jones at The Mail, the Villans ‘have revived talks’ with French giants Paris Saint-Germain over a move for former loanee Marco Asensio.
The Spaniard spent the second half of last season on loan at Villa Park, and given the fact he has ‘snubbed moves’ to other sides, a return is on the cards.
The West Midlands club ‘have asked about loan and permanent deals’ for the former Real Madrid star, who is said to be ‘keen to return’ to the club this summer. Back in May, it was suggested that a fee of around £13m was enough for Villa to seal the permanent signing of Asensio.
Why Asensio would be a good signing
Despite a lack of football in the French capital for Asensio last season, he flourished on loan at Villa Park. His excellent form led former Premier League winger Andros Townsend to describe him as a “special talent”.
Indeed, the 29-year-old forward, who was born in Mallorca, played 21 times for the club last season. In that time, he bagged eight goals, operating most often as a number ten, and also assisted once, too.
Some of his best performances in a Villa shirt surely came in the Champions League. The Spain international scored three goals in four games, but only chalked up 126 minutes, leaving him with a goal every 42 minutes on average.
If Villa are successful in bringing Asensio back to the club for next season, he could form a sensational partnership with new signing Guessand. The Ivorian was excellent for Nice last term, with nine goals and 12 assists in 33 Ligue 1 games.
It is that ability to both score and assist that might make the duo so deadly. Asensio became a goalscorer for Villa last season, and with Guessand so prolific when setting up goals, those two certainly pair well together.
Yet, the former Real Madrid star also grabbed 32 assists for Los Blancos and 11 for PSG. His best season, the 2022/23 campaign for Madrid, saw him score nine La Liga goals and set up a further six.
Indeed, his stats from that season highlight the creative force Asensio can be at his very best. For example, he averaged 2.5 chances created and 8.2 forward passes per 90 minutes for Los Blancos in that campaign.
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Asensio key stats for Real Madrid 2022/23 La Liga |
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|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Per 90 mins |
Season total |
|
Goals |
0.6 |
9 |
|
Assists |
0.4 |
6 |
|
Chances created |
2.5 |
39 |
|
Forward passes |
130 |
8.2 |
|
Take-ons completed |
23 |
1.5 |
|
Ball recoveries |
45 |
2.9 |
|
Stats from Squawka |
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For a fee of around £13m, this could be a bargain for Villa. Asensio and Guessand pair well together, with the Spaniard playing in behind the new Villans star. Both players can chip in with goals and assists, which could make for some exciting link-up play with each other.
Villa fans can surely get excited about this partnership, especially since they know what Asensio can bring to the table and just how good of a footballer he is.
