Aston Villa and Newcastle United played out the only goalless affair of an action-packed Premier League opening weekend.
The Villans notably struggled to spark into life in front of goal, with Ollie Watkins only managing one lacklustre effort all match long, while usual livewire Morgan Rogers failed to ever test Nick Pope with a meaningful effort.
Aston-Villa
Thus, the imminent arrival of Marco Asensio, who is spectacularly due to return to the Midlands, is set to come at just the right time.
Villa pushing to sign £4m star alongside Asensio
It looked as if Asensio's love affair with the Villans was only ever going to be short-lived, having scored eight goals and tallied up one assist last season during a fruitful loan stint.
However, it is now looking very likely that the ex-Real Madrid midfielder will call Villa Park his permanent abode, with a £13m deal reportedly close to being wrapped up.
He isn't the only exciting addition that could soon be signed off on, though, as Villa are also chasing down the services of this up-and-coming talent for just £4m.
As per reports from Spain, relayed by Sport Witness, Emery and Co. could soon push ahead to land 19-year-old sensation Hector Fort from Barcelona, with the Villa boss allegedly taken aback by the teenager's quality.
Barcelona youngster Hector Fort
Moreover, it is now being reported that Hansi Flick is open to allowing the homegrown Barca gem to leave, which could open the door for Villa to secure a cheap £4m deal, before the window slams shut.
Why signing Fort could be Asensio 2.0
Fort joining the ever-expanding camp could even be viewed as a purchase that's as exciting as Asensio returning to familiar shores, with the teenager hopeful he can impress in the Premier League under Emery's guidance, after starring in flashes in La Liga.
Of course, Asensio is unlikely to need time to get back up to speed with proceedings at Villa Park.
From just 21 appearances last season, the serial winner left a lasting impact on his new set of adoring supporters, as seen in his aforementioned tally of eight goals and one assist from those limited appearances.
Over a full season, the Spaniard should be able to reach even greater heights as a focal point in the Villa attack, with his glittering career to date seeing him pick up an outrageous 111 goal contributions on the books of Paris St. Germain and Real Madrid.
Fort will hope he can instantly settle into life in the Premier League in a similarly effortless way when making the move from Spain, having been previously lauded as "brilliant" by ex-Barca manager Xavi when being utilised sparingly as a stylish substitute option.
Fort's senior league numbers for Barca
Stat (* = per game)
Games played
Games started
Goals scored
Assists
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Stats by Sofascore
To rubber-stamp his incredible potential, from just four starts during his debut season in the Camp Nou senior ranks, Fort would manage to amass a healthy two assists, with the attack-minded right-back no doubt confident in his ability to light up pitches at a demanding level.
Moreover, Fort averaged a 92% pass accuracy last campaign, even as he tumbled down Flick's pecking order, with Asensio's own average coming in at 86% when he instantly became a fan favourite at Villa Park.
FC Barcelona's Marc Casado, Lamine Yamal, Pablo Torre, Fermin Lopez, Hector Fort, Sergi Dominguez, Pau Victor, Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong
FC Barcelona's Marc Casado, Lamine Yamal, Pablo Torre, Fermin Lopez, Hector Fort, Sergi Dominguez, Pau Victor, Marc Bernal and Frenkie de Jong
The Barca number 20 will hope he can offer the same creative energy donning Villa claret and blue, with Asensio also taking the English game by storm with his obvious class last campaign, before sealing a permanent move back.
Once lauded as a "superb" talent for the future by scout Jacek Kulig, who also further waxed lyrical about Fort being "one of the most talented youngsters in Spain", the proof will soon be in the pudding if Fort can excel in the taxing environment of the Premier League.
marco-asensio-aston-villa
Once upon a time, Asensio was also 'one of the brightest talents in Spain' in the eyes of Vicente del Bosque.
So, for a combined fee of £17m, the two Spaniards would surely go down as a stroke of genius capture.