Inter Milan Attempted to Edge Out Aston Villa in Last-Minute Swoop for €25M-Rated PSG Outcast | OneFootball

During the winter transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain sought to offload players no longer in their plans, and Marco Asensio was among them.

Since November 30, Asensio’s role at PSG has significantly decreased. The former Real Madrid forward lost his starting spot and has only featured as a substitute in a few matches.

Journalist Ben Jacobs reported that Aston Villa reached an agreement to take Asensio on loan during the winter transfer window. This move won’t affect Marcus Rashford’s potential loan to Villa, which could include an option to buy.

PSG are content with this short-term arrangement, as Villa will cover Asensio’s full wages. Fabrizio Romano confirmed that the English side will pay his salary in full until June, with PSG agreeing to a straightforward loan without a purchase option.

One Serie A club attempted a swoop for Marco Asensio

BERTRAND GUAY/AFP via Getty Images

Although Asensio ultimately moved to Birmingham, he was close to joining Inter Milan. SportMediaset reports (h/t Foot01) that Inter Milan did have discussions with Jorge Mendes to explore the possibility of bringing the PSG player to Serie A’s second-place team.

Inter Milan’s sporting directors, Marotta and Ausilio, considered the move, but a key issue arose. With no chance to offload Joaquin Correa or Marko Arnautović, Inter Milan’s leadership decided to walk away.

That said, Inter Milan’s interest in Asensio could remain strong by the end of the season. The report adds that while it’s not possible to sign him before then, Inter Milan’s decision-makers may revisit the option once Asensio’s loan at Aston Villa ends.

A report from last month revealed that PSG would like to secure between €15 million and €25 million in a permanent sale of Asensio.