‘Delighted He Can Play’ – Why PSG May Regret Asensio’s Villa Role

Why PSG Might Regret Letting Marco Asensio Face Them in Champions League Clash

In football, irony has a habit of appearing just when it’s least welcome. For Paris Saint-Germain, that irony might wear the number 10 shirt for Aston Villa this Wednesday night. Marco Asensio, the Spanish international they allowed to go out on loan in January, has turned into the kind of player who could haunt them — at the worst possible moment.

Asensio will line up for Aston Villa in the Champions League quarter-final at the Parc des Princes, not just eligible, but essential to Unai Emery’s finely tuned, momentum-fuelled squad. The Spaniard has reignited his career in the Midlands, racking up eight goals and an assist in just 11 appearances and helping Villa stretch their winning run across all competitions to seven matches. That streak includes qualification for an FA Cup semi-final, a Champions League last-eight tie, and a serious charge towards the Premier League’s top four.

PSG and Asensio: A Complicated Relationship

Delighted he can play’ – PSG relish loanee Asensio’s return

Paris Saint-Germain are no strangers to domestic dominance. They’ve retained the Ligue 1 title with games to spare, lifted the French Supercup, and are poised for a Coupe de France final. But while everything might look rosy in the French capital, there’s one dark cloud that could roll in from Birmingham.

His name is Marco Asensio.

Luis Enrique, who coached Asensio both at PSG and with the Spain national team, insists he holds no regrets over the player’s departure.

“I am delighted he can play,” Enrique said in the lead-up to the match. “He wasn’t getting the game time he wanted here and he had the opportunity to go to Birmingham. It is good that he is playing.”

The words are generous, but beneath them may lie a sliver of apprehension. After all, this is a player with a CV that glitters with three Champions League titles from his time at Real Madrid, alongside three La Liga crowns and four FIFA Club World Cups. He’s seen it all, and won most of it.

The Emery Effect: Rebuilding a Star

Delighted he can play’ – PSG relish loanee Asensio’s return

If anyone knows how to breathe life back into a stalling career, it’s Unai Emery. The Spanish tactician has long admired Asensio, reportedly chasing him across several transfer windows before finally getting his man on loan this winter.

Football pundit Guillem Balague revealed: “Unai has tried to get Asensio in at least three windows. He has always said to Unai he wanted to work with him and develop with him.”

The clincher? Emery offered him something Real Madrid never fully did — a starring role at number 10. Asensio thrived in that creative space behind the striker during his early Mallorca days. At Madrid, he was shifted out wide. At PSG, he was buried in rotation.

But at Villa? He’s the creative hub. Free to roam, to find pockets of space, to dictate the play. The results speak for themselves.

Villa’s Secret Weapon on a European Stage

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Premier League fan who expected Asensio to light up English football this quickly. His first appearance — a slick cameo against Spurs in the FA Cup — offered a glimpse of what was to come. Now, he’s integral.

“When you look at him you don’t think he’s a hard worker because he’s a ball player,” said Villa teammate Youri Tielemans, “but off the ball he does his job really well. That’s what we need from every player.”

Tielemans also praised Asensio’s ability to glide through opposition lines: “The system suits him, to be free around the striker and pick up spaces. We can find him through the lines. He’s a really good player.”

UEFA Rules Make the Drama Possible

Premier League fans might raise eyebrows at the idea of a loanee facing their parent club, something banned in England since 2004. But UEFA rules differ. Their regulations prohibit clubs from exerting “any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match.”

So Asensio will be on the pitch — and PSG can only watch and hope he doesn’t take centre stage.

Redemption Run for a Forgotten Talent

Asensio’s PSG stint hasn’t lived up to the billing. Just seven goals in 47 games since his arrival from Madrid raised more questions than answers, despite winning a domestic double in his debut season.

But it’s easy to forget that this is a player named after Marco van Basten, a footballer born into the game with natural flair and big-match temperament. Asensio’s time at Real Madrid was littered with moments of brilliance — long-range rockets, clever assists, and big goals in big matches.

Now, he’s back on a similar stage, with a point to prove — not just to PSG, but perhaps to himself.

A Match of Subplots, and a Player With Something to Say

This quarter-final tie already carries emotional and tactical weight. It’s Unai Emery’s return to Paris, Luis Enrique against a former pupil, and a rising English side against European royalty.

But Asensio adds another layer — a subplot that could steal the show.

For Villa, he’s more than just a loanee. He’s a leader, a finisher, and the man who might just tilt the balance in their favour.

For PSG, he’s a potential regret-in-waiting.

And for Asensio himself, this is the kind of night players dream of. A chance to remind Europe exactly who he is — and why letting him go may yet haunt his former club.

One way or another, it’s a storyline worth watching.