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The clause Aston Villa ‘refused’ to put in Marco Asensio’s loan deal
Aston Villa were perhaps the most exciting team to keep an eye on during the January transfer window.
Indeed, the Villans were active in the winter transfer window throughout January and into early February as they secured some key signings.
Donyell Malen arrived at Aston Villa early in the window, while Marcus Rashford got a move to Villa after Rashford made it clear he wanted to leave Manchester United.
Axel Disasi also joined Villa towards the end of the transfer window after Tottenham tried to sign Disasi late in the day.
Marco Asensio was another late addition at Villa Park as he joined on loan.
Speaking on The Transfers Podcast, Duncan Castles has been discussing Asensio’s move to Villa, and he says that the Villans actually refused to insert a option to buy in this deal for one key reason.
Why Aston Villa refused option to buy Marco Asensio
According to Castles, Villa refused an option to buy on the Asensio deal due to the fact that PSG wanted a loan fee in return.
Castles suggested that Villa wouldn’t want a loan fee due to some tight restrictions in terms of PSR.
“A little detail in their negotiations last week in that they took Marco Asensio from Paris Saint-Germain on loan. Instead of Joao Félix, they had been offered the two players, Unai Emery keen on both of them, Félix going to Milan, Chelsea insisting that Milan pay 5.5 million euros as a loan fee, which was basically the amortisation value of the five months you’ll spend at Milan,” Castles said.
“PSG allowing Asensio to go to Villa without a loan fee. Wages had to be paid in full. My guidance is that Villa asked for an option to buy, to be included in that deal, but refused to take one when PSG insisted that if you want an option to buy, you have to pay a loan fee in order to get it.”
“So again, that suggests that Aston Villa, despite that big, big take on John Duran, are still tight on their financial headroom. And we can also look at the six clubs who got involved in those PSR swap deals in the summer. The ones you mentioned, Elliot Anderson, Omari Kellyman, etcetera.”
Aston Villa’s recent net spend
Castles says that Villa may be cutting it fine in terms of PSR at the moment, and the numbers do suggest that the Villans are close to the line.
Indeed, despite not necessarily being the biggest or most successful club in Europe in recent years, Villa are right up there in terms of Europe’s biggest spenders.
| Rank | Club | Income (£M) | Expenditure (£M) | Balance (£M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris St-Germain (FRA) | 348.47 | 884.96 | -536.49 |
| 2 | Manchester United (ENG) | 204.11 | 688.27 | -484.16 |
| 3 | Chelsea FC (ENG) | 457.20 | 939.86 | -306.66 |
| 4 | FC Barcelona (ESP) | 528.66 | 833.78 | -258.88 |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) | 185.83 | 443.80 | -258.00 |
| 6 | Arsenal FC (ENG) | 155.15 | 383.35 | -211.18 |
| 7 | Internazionale (ITA) | 397.46 | 569.24 | -207.00 |
| 8 | Milan AC (ITA) | 256.38 | 467.14 | -200.76 |
| 9 | Aston Villa (ENG) | 187.63 | 359.90 | -172.27 |
| 10 | Everton FC (ENG) | 343.90 | 544.60 | -171.13 |
Aston Villa are right there alongside some of Europe’s powerhouses in terms of spending, and that may not be sustainable without breaking the newer, stricter, Premier League rules on spending.
Of course, largely, it has been money well spent for Villa. After all, they’ve qualified for the Champions League, but as the likes of Everton and Nottingham Forest have learned in recent times, the Premier League doesn’t take too kindly to this sort of spending these days.
Villa have an option to buy Marcus Rashford in the summer, but they passed up on the chance to do the same with Asensio due to the finances involved in this deal.