Aston Villa had a quiet start to the window but it appears to be ramping up in the final few weeks. The club was at risk of breaching the Premier League's PSR rules, but with the impending sale of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle, they have more freedom to spend.
Unai Emery has already brought in Nice forward Evann Guessand for around £30 million - the boss seems to have been a major contributing factor in the 24 year-old's decision to come to Birmingham, as in one of his first interviews as a Villa player, he spoke of their relationship.
“I was watching the games of Aston Villa in the last seasons, and after that we started talking with the coach. To be honest, our talks were the main point, because he really is the person who convinced me to come here, and of course, we know the career of this coach.
"I’m a young player and I want to improve. I have many qualities that can improve, so when I spoke with the coach, I (knew) this is the right coach for me to become better and better.”
Villa are looking to quickly follow up this signing with another forward who has already spent some time with the club.
Villa working to bring back Asensio
marco-asensio-aston-villa
With the sale of Jacob Ramsey almost complete, Aston Villa have started the process of bringing Marco Asensio back to the club (Sky Sports). Asensio joined Villa on loan from PSG from January until the end of the 24/25 season, but until now, there have been no official moves to make the signing permanent.
Negotiations are already proceeding well, with an agreement in place with the player to sign a three-year contract with all other personal terms having been agreed. On the club front, PSG has already informed Asensio that they are open to selling him in the event that a satisfactory offer is received.
Later this week, Villa are expected to place their first official bid with PSG, with a figure of £17.2 million including bonuses being their asking price.
Asensio to build on his fantastic first impression
From the moment Asensio joined Villa last season, he seemed to buy into Emery's vision and the club's project. In February, he held an interview with Sky: "Happy to join the project, be with my teammates and staff, and grateful to be able to give a lot of joy to the fans as well. I want to be able to help us achieve the goals that we have, collectively, as a team and a club."
His teammates also took a liking to him, with Matty Cash calling him a "Mentality Monster". His teammates would also have loved his creativity, as he featured in the top 25% of players for chances created per 90 minutes.
As a well-regarded figure, both in the dressing room and global football, who already has a good relationship with the club and the manager, resigning Asensio on a three-year deal for less than £20 million feels like a no-brainer for Villa.