Aston Villa are reportedly in talks with Real Madrid over a potential transfer agreement to see Marco Asensio head to Villa Park this summer, according to a recent report from talkSPORT.
Asensio has found regular game time hard to come by with the Spanish giants in recent months, which is somewhat unsurprising given the immediate impact of the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo, who have caught the eye for all the right reasons in recent months under the management of Carlo Ancelotti. Asensio’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and it looks as though it’s only going to be a matter of time before his permanent departure is confirmed by Real Madrid.
Since signing for the club, Asensio has made 285 appearances in total, and has chipped in with 61 goals and 32 assists, which doesn’t make for the worst viewing for a player that has been in and out of the starting XI for much of his time with Real Madrid, since making the move to the club back in 2014, having previously been on the books with RCD Mallorca.
He’s scored 12 goals, and been on hand to provide eight assists for his Real Madrid team-mates in the 2022/23 season, which makes for impressive reading when you consider that the majority of his appearances were from the substitutes bench. It appears as though he won’t have much trouble in finding a new club heading towards the 2023/24 league campaign either, with Aston Villa rumoured to be leading the race to land his signature.
A move to Villa Park under the watchful eye of Unai Emery could be a tempting move for Asensio as well, with the Premier League side finishing seventh in the top-flight standings this term, as they beat the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Brentford, and Chelsea into qualifying for next year’s Europa Conference League.
It’s been revealed by mybettingsites.co.uk that Aston Villa are priced at 8/1 on Sky Bet to finish in the top-four in the Premier League next season, which certainly isn’t out of the question if they add players of Asensio’s quality to their squad before the summer transfer window reaches a conclusion. Below, you’ll find the betting odds on Sky Bet for other teams which are likely to be challenging for a top-four finish in the Premier League next season.
- Manchester City @ 1/20
- Arsenal @ 5/6
- Liverpool @ 5/6
- Manchester United @ 11/10
- Newcastle United @ 6/5
- Chelsea @ 11/8
- Tottenham Hotspur @ 9/4
- Brighton & Hove Albion @ 11/4
- West Ham United @ 10/1
Odds displayed are correct as of 4:32 pm, Tuesday 30th May 2023. Odds are subject to change.
Aston Villa certainly need to add strength in depth to their squad ahead of next season, as rotation will be required from Unai Emery, as he looks to keep his team competing to a high standard across all the competitions they’re involved in. The likes of Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey are strong options to have in wide areas, but you’d have to feel as though Asensio is an upgrade on either of those, especially given the quality we’ve seen from the Spanish international in European competitions over the last few years.
It’s a serious statement of intent by Unai Emery, and he’ll be hoping that he can get a deal over the line for Asensio at the earliest possible opportunity ahead of the new Premier League season.
By Alejandro Fernandez
According to RM homepage, they terminated Hazards contract?
My God could this be true?