Aston Villa interested in Marco Asensio, says report

Aston Villa are reportedly keen to sign Marco Asensio on a free transfer this summer. The Spain international’s current contract with Real Madrid is set to expire next month. He would then be able to sign for any club of his choice on July 1st.

The Athletic is reporting that Villa is offering Asensio a significant deal to lure the Spaniard to the Premier League. Current head coach Unai Emery is leading the charge for the player’s signature. Emery, also a fellow Spaniard, has been a revelation since his arrival to the Villans. The team was previously sitting 16th in the table before Emery took over on November 1st. Since then, the coach has taken the club up to eighth in the standings.

Barca exec wants to bring Asensio to England

Along with Emery, outgoing Barcelona director of football Mateu Alemany is also supposedly on board with the potential move for Asensio. Alemany will join Villa on July 1st in a similar role with the West Midlands club.

Asensio would seemingly prefer to remain with Real in the future. However, the Spanish giants have not yet agreed to a new deal with the 27-year-old winger. Real purchased Asensio from Mallorca in 2015 for around $3.9 million.

While he was on pace to become one of the top prospects in Europe, injuries have hindered the player’s progression. In fact, Asensio has missed a total of 63 games for Real since his arrival to the squad. A large chunk of these missed matches came when he ruptured a knee ligament in 2019.

Nevertheless, Asensio is still a very capable player. He has racked up 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions so far this season. The Spaniard can play on either flank as well as in the number 10 role behind a central striker.

Agent for Marco Asensio familiar with Aston Villa coach

Jorge Mendes represents Asensio. The Portuguese super agent has a good relationship with Emery and Villa. Mendes currently represents a plethora of Premier League talent, including Bernardo Silva, Darwin Nunez, and Joao Felix.

Villa is not the only team looking to sign Asensio on a free transfer. The Athletic also claims that multiple Premier League and Serie A clubs are also monitoring his current situation.

PHOTO: IMAGO / Ricardo Larreina Amador