Aston Villa are flying high at present as they reached the Champions League quarter-finals and are also doing well in the Premier League and FA Cup.
The Villans remain firmly in the picture for two trophies this season and they’re just four points off the top four in the Premier League table.
Aston Villa certainly made the most of the January transfer window, bringing in a number of signings that have been transformative.
Donyell Malen, Andres Garcia, Axel Disasi, Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio all arrived at Villa Park in the winter transfer window, and all have made an impact.
Asensio has been especially eye-catching, with seven goals from his first eight Villa appearances, while Rashford has been getting better with each passing game.
Gary Lineker has now spoken about both Asensio and Rashford, summing up the former in one word and delivering an emphatic verdict on the latter.
Gary Lineker hails ‘revelation’ Marco Asensio and ‘very creative’ Marcus Rashford
Lineker spoke about the Champions League last-16 second-leg matches in the latest episode of The Rest is Football.
The England icon spoke about Villa’s European pedigree from back in the 1980s and also praised Villa’s recruitment as he deemed Asensio a “revelation”.
Lineker also noted how Rashford looks like he’s enjoying his football again and praised his sharpness and creativity.
“Of course Aston Villa have won this tournament, when it was known as the European Cup for those younger listeners – that’s when football didn’t really exist obviously,” joked Lineker.
“But, you know, they’ve been there and done it before, this.
“I mean, nowadays I think it’s tougher because in those days it was just the teams that won the league that went into the competition, not the top four/five, so there’s more competition nowadays.
“But their recruitment’s been really good overall the last few years as well and particularly even in January, perfect, very good.
“Asensio has been a revelation, Rashford looks like he’s enjoying himself and looks sharp and dangerous every time I see him play, and very creative – so it’s all coming together.”
How much Aston Villa will have to pay to buy Marco Asensio from PSG
Asensio has already done more than enough to justify a spot in Emery’s setup long-term.
Although Villa don’t have an option or obligation to buy Asensio, it has been reported that PSG won’t be looking for a huge sum.
Asensio is said to be available for only €15million, which is just over £12.5million.
PSG reportedly want to find a permanent solution for the Spaniard as soon as possible and they are keen to remove his salary from their wage bill.
With that in mind, it’ll be a no-brainer for Villa once the transfer window reopens in the summer.
