FOOTBALL – Aston Villa have signed Spanish attacking midfielder Marco Asensio on loan from Paris St Germain until the end of the season, the Premier League club said yesterday.
Asensio joined PSG as a free agent in July 2023 after over eight years with Real Madrid where he won three Champions Leagues and three LaLiga titles, and in his first season with the French club won the domestic double.
The 29-year-old, who has made 38 appearances for Spain, has scored two goals this season in 16 games for PSG, but Asensio has played just 18 minutes in the last eight league games for Luis Enrique’s side.
Asensio said working with Villa manager Unai Emery was a factor in his decision to move to the Premier League.
“I’m looking forward to being able to contribute to this club, to add to this team with eagerness and with lots of excitement,” he told Villa’s website.
“Unai is a coach that I’ve known for a while. He’s had a great career, he’s a top coach, he’s been key in me being able to come here because of his idea of how he wants to play football. I love it, it suits me perfectly.”
Villa, who are eighth in the Premier League standings and qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, host Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.
England striker Marcus Rashford arrived at Villa on loan from Manchester United on Sunday.
Juventus have signed Newcastle United centre back Lloyd Kelly on loan for the rest of the season, both clubs said.
The deal includes a loan fee of three million euros ($3.09m) plus an obligation for the Serie A side to buy Kelly for a fee of 14.5m euros subject to the achievement of certain sporting objectives.
Kelly joined Newcastle from Bournemouth on a free transfer in June and has made 10 Premier League appearances this season, including six as a substitute. The 26-year-old has played 10 times for England Under-21s.
Juve are fourth in the Serie A standings, seven points behind third-placed Atalanta and 14 adrift of leaders Napoli.
Kelly’s arrival will boost coach Thiago Motta’s options in defence, with Danilo leaving by mutual consent and Gleison Bremer and Juan Cabal sidelined by anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
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