Aston Villa ex-scout seriously impressed by Endrick move
Marco Asensio should have stayed at Aston Villa after his positive stint on loan from PSG in 2025.
That is the opinion of former senior Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The 30-year-old joined from PSG in the 2024-25 season's winter transfer window, arriving at the same time as Marcus Rashford.
Both players excelled, with Asensio scoring eight goals in 21 appearances across all competitions, including a brace against Chelsea.
The Spaniard was strongly linked with a permanent move to Villa last summer but eventually signed for Fenerbahce in a deal worth around £7million.
Villa are set to be on the loan market this summer again and have looked at Real Madrid's Endrick, but are set to be forced to revisit a potential deal in January.
Marco Asensio was 'one of Villa's best players'
Many did not know what to expect from Asensio when he arrived at Villa Park last year.
The Spaniard was once a Real Madrid wonderkid, before suffering several injuries and eventually moving to PSG - a move that never worked out for him.
At Villa, he looked confident and talented, undoubtedly making Unai Emery's team better. The fans were very keen, but decision-makers could not bring him back.
That outcome appears to have come down to wages, with Asensio's 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 appearances for Fenerbahce last season suggesting that it was not related to his ability.
"He's an exciting player, of course, a 20-year-old Brazilian," King told Football Insider when asked about Villa's interest in Endrick.
"There have been some things done at Villa which [have left me confused]. Asensio, when he was there, I mean, he'd have been the perfect player to have kept there, you know what I mean?
"He went back, and they never brought him back. They never brought him back again, and he was one of Villa's best players.
"If they're going to buy this fellow [Endrick], he's going to cost an awful lot of money. But if they're going to take him on loan, that could be an exciting player to bring in, that's for sure."
Monchi reveals why Asensio was not signed
Monchi was president of football operations until 2025 for Villa, and has since revealed why a permanent move for Asensio did not work out.
"I thought he was going to end up at Villa Park, which was the goal,” he told Spanish outlet Eldes Marque.
"But in the end it didn't happen, mainly for financial reasons, because PSG were being tougher on us. And well, Marco was worried; he was nervous. He saw that the transfer market was going on, and it was nearly closing.
"He opted for Fenerbahce. It’s true that I thought, we all thought, that he could end up at Villa Park, because he had also had six very good months previously.”