Aston Villa's dream is broken

Aston Villa are struggling to sign striker Marco Asensio permanently after his successful loan spell from Paris Saint-Germain in the second half of the 2024/25 season.

The Spanish player has been impressive for Villa since the beginning of the year.

Manager Unai Emery is keen to keep the 29-year-old, but Fenerbahce have surprisingly stepped in. Two months ago, Villa thought they had the Spaniard signed.

Asensio's loan deal with Paris Saint-Germain expires in May, and the English club have also reached an agreement to buy the player permanently for a transfer fee of around 25 million euros.

However, the financial pressure of failing to qualify for next season's Champions League has prevented Villa from speeding up the deal, creating an opportunity for Fenerbahce, who are prepared to pay PSG an estimated €25-30m (£21-25m).

In addition, the Turkish club is also willing to pay Asensio a salary of 7 million euros/year (about 135,000 pounds/week), the same amount he is receiving at PSG. Aston Villa does not have enough money to pay Asensio such a large income, causing negotiations to fall into a deadlock.

Asensio's contract with PSG also runs until June 2026. Aston Villa are facing huge financial pressure due to UEFA regulations, which come into effect from the 2025/26 season. Under these rules, clubs are limited to spending 85% of their total revenue on player wages, transfer fees, and agent fees.

Last season, Villa’s estimated spend ratio exceeded 80%, forcing them to cut their wage bill to avoid penalties. The sale of Villa’s women’s team in May helped the club ease pressure from the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), but issues with UEFA remain a challenge.

Source: https://znews.vn/aston-villa-vo-mong-post1565708.html