Marco Asensio has seemingly not ruled out a return to Aston Villa ahead of his return to parent club Paris Saint-Germain.
During the latter stages of the winter transfer window, Villa pulled off the coup of agreeing a loan deal for the Spain international.
Having dropped down the pecking order at Parc des Princes, Asensio was provided with 12 starts and nine substitute outings during his time in the West Midlands.
With a total of eight goals and one assist during that period, Unai Emery is likely to be in favour of keeping his compatriot at the club for next season and beyond.
However, Villa have missed out on Champions League qualification, instead having to settle for the Europa League, and that will negatively impact on their budget for the summer.
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What has Asensio said?
Previous reports have suggested that the 29-year-old could be available for a sum in the region of £15m, a fee that Villa may realistically be prepared to pay.
Commenting on his time at Villa on social media, Asensio has revealed that he has "felt at home" at the club and hinted that a return was not out of the question.
He said: "A big thank you for this season! I've felt at home since day one and had very special moments — grateful to be part of this team.
"We left everything on the field to fight for the club's objectives. Proud of the effort. Looking forward to what's ahead!"
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What is the next step?
With Villa seemingly not pushing through their £40m option to sign fellow loanee Marcus Rashford from Manchester United, it is a sign that they do not possess the financial firepower that they would have envisaged.
There will be those who consider paying the aforementioned £15m for a 29-year-old has too much money at this stage, yet Villa arguably need the star power that Asensio brings to keep their profile on a certain footing.
That particularly rings true when Morgan Rogers and Ollie Watkins have been linked with transfers elsewhere, yet Villa will also be eager to strengthen in other areas of the pitch.
Asensio has just a year remaining on his PSG contract, the likelihood being that the former Real Madrid attacker will not be short of offers.
Darren Plant
