Given the clubs on his resume, it perhaps shouldnt have come as a huge surprise to Aston Villa supporters that Marco Asensio had quality and talent.
However, they have still become rather enamoured with Asensio than perhaps they even realised: the former Real Madrid attacker has shown flashes of brilliance for the club since arriving on loan from Paris Saint-Germain in January.
His return of eight goals and five assists across the Premier League, Ligue 1 and Champions League is decent given he has made only 17 starts in total across the competitions.
Marco Asensio has a conundrum to solve and Aston Villa might be the answer
Technical players who can find space between the lines and play clever through balls have not always found Aston Villa the easiest of places to ply their trade. Previous managers Dean Smith and Steven Gerrard both failed to get consistency from Philippe Coutinho (the third-most expensive player of all time) and Emi Buendia, with both still contracted to the club.
The two South Americans would happily be offloaded this summer if the right suitors came forward, which would leave room for a player of Asensios ilk. When asked in March whether he would like to keep the player, manager Unai Emery replied, It depends.
This seems to be conditional on not only paying the right price for him, but also if they can sell others to create funds. The club are adamant that the future of their players this summer has yet to be decided, despite the emotional reaction from some in their final home game of the season.
Behind the lone striker in Emerys usual 4-2-3-1, his counter-attacking unit utilises directness in wide positions with a defensive work rate. The tactician normally opts for a traditional box-to-box midfielder on one side in the form of either John McGinn or Jacob Ramsey, and then a natural winger or forward on the other, such as a Marcus Rashford or Donyell Malen.
His attacking players generally offer either pace, athleticism, power or physicality, and in the case of Morgan Rodgers, all the aforementioned qualities. Rodgers has also operated centrally during this campaign, but Asensio still has a rare combination of attributes for this squad.
In the absence of Youri Tielemans against Tottenham Hotspur on Friday night ranked at no.23 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League players of the season the Mallorca-born attacker was able to produce the spark. When Villa struggle to find rhythm and creativity, he can unlock defences in a similar manner to the midfielder.
The number of passes he made against Spurs was almost twice as many as his average for the season because Ange Postecoglous men simply sat back and aimed to soak up the pressure. Against opposition teams that defend deep, allowing Villa more possession, Asensio has the ability to break down the low block and pick out the strikers that are running in-behind.
sensio also has an acceleration that can take him past his opponents, while he can find space in congested areas. His versatility across the whole of the front is another asset, although in recent years he appears more comfortable ahead of the midfield.
In his early twenties, he was used as a winger. At Espanyol, he played primarily on the right-hand side, where he would cut inside onto his favoured left foot. The season after back at Madrid, he would provide cover for Cristiano Ronaldo on the left under the management of Zinedine Zidane.
As a now no.10, Asensio doesnt appear as suited to Luis Enriques 4-3-3 system at PSG, whilst they have also made a shift towards a more youthful attack. The arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in the French capital limits his game time even further.
Asensio isnt exactly a Galactico and is too big a star for sides such as Real Mallorca and Espanyol currently. The 29-year-old has struggled to find a club that fits his stature throughout his career, and Villa provides the perfect platform.
He has just 12 months remaining on his deal with PSG and has settled well in England. Villa may have chosen not to take an option to buy clause in their original deal but will surely be looking to find a way to make it happen this summer.
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