PSG outcast Marco Asensio experiencing a revival at Aston Villa | OneFootball

Being loaned to Aston Villa earlier this year may have been the best thing that could’ve happened to Marco Asensio (29). The former two-time Ligue 1 champion, who was loaned to the Birmingham-based side in early February by Paris Saint-Germain, has thrived under the guidance of another Spaniard and former PSG boss, Unai Emery.

The former three-time UEFA Champions League winner at Real Madrid will get a chance to haunt Les Parisiens beginning this week when the newly crowned French champions face the Villains in the first of two legs in the quarter-finals.

From the beginning of the campaign, PSG boss Luis Enrique had utilised Asensio primarily as a rotation player before he fell out of favour entirely after the team’s 3-0 triumph over Toulouse FC last November. After that, he only made two brief cameo appearances for the team in Ligue 1 before being loaned to Aston Villa.

He has flourished in Birmingham, scoring eight goals and making one assist in just 11 appearances for them across all competitions. It’s a massive turnaround for a player that had been heavily criticised at PSG, with Luis Enrique questioning his lack of investment to start the collective pressing.

“The manager simply felt that he had to make other choices for the players,” Asensio told the Daily Mirror a few days after arriving at Aston Villa.

Asensio is under contract with PSG until 2026, but a return to the Parc des Princes in unlikely for the Spaniard. A permanent move either to Villa or elsewhere is on the cards.

PSG upset Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16 on penalties, while Villa eased their way into the last eight, defeating Club Brugge 6-1 on aggregate. Asensio scored once in the opening leg of that tie.

Villa are currently outside the Champions League places next season, sitting seventh in the Premier League table, two points below Chelsea for that final spot.

GFFN | Joel Lefevre