Unai Emery has finally got his preferred target in Marco Asensio, who could instantly make a difference for Aston Villa against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Spaniard moved to Birmingham from Paris Saint-Germain in a loan deal on deadline day. He is expected to make his debut in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend. Let's explore the finer details of what we can anticipate.
Contents
What number will Asensio wear for Aston Villa?
According to journalist Romain Collet Gaudin, Asensio will wear the number 21 shirt for Aston Villa after completing a straightforward loan move for the remainder of the season.
The shirt has been vacant since Anwar El Ghazi left the club in 2022.
The 29-year-old, who has scored two goals and registered four assists this term, wore shirt number 11 at PSG. Meanwhile, at Real Madrid, his shirt number was 20. Not exactly the same, but close for the Villans.
Who will Asensio play alongside on his Aston Villa debut?
The Spain international is not the only attacking signing for Emery this winter. Before him, Villa also signed Marcus Rashford and Donyell Malen.
The Englishman is a natural left-winger while Malen mostly played on the right flank for Borussia Dortmund. However, Asensio is likely to play as a centre-forward.
Ten out of his 12 Ligue 1 appearances under Luis Enrique this season came as a striker, and following Jhon Duran's move to Al-Nassr, he appears to be his direct replacement.
In particular, it would be interesting to see his partnership with Rashford. In their early 20s, both forwards were expected to cement their status as Manchester United and Real Madrid icons. However, their career trajectories have not gone as many had hoped.
At Villa, who find themselves in a cushy position in the Champions League, both stars will try to show why they were once expected to achieve big things.
Asensio Aston Villa debut to end in victory?
Villa face Tottenham in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. There's plenty of time for Asensio to train and be ready to start against Spurs.
Further, with Ollie Watkins picking up an injury, Emery might not have any other option but to put his new signing straight into the starting lineup, even if he isn't well-versed with his ideas in the first week of his arrival.
Spurs are facing a defensive crisis. As such, they might provide Asensio plenty of opportunities to mark his debut with a goal or two. However, the last time the two sides faced each other, the North Londoners came out on top, registering a 4-1 win in the Premier League.
