Ligue 1 runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain look set to loan out Spain star Marco Asensio before the transfer window closes, with Premier League club Aston Villa the likely destination.
The Midlands side, managed by Unai Emery, have agreed to take the former Real Madrid star on loan until the end of the season to bolster Villa’s top four and Champions League bids. The 29-year-old’s chances in Paris have become less frequent with Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembele commanding a first eleven spot and Goncalo Ramos pushing for a start.
The signing of Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Italian club Napoli further squeezed Asensio out and, with a contract at the Parc des Princes until the summer of 2026, he may well be receptive to a loan move now to strengthen his claim for an international place. He signed for PSG in 2023 after eight campaigns at Real Madrid and has scored seven goals in 47 appearances for the Parisiens; but Asensio has been an unused substitute in recent games, including a win away to Stade Brest on Saturday.
The Villains have just seen rising star Jhon Duran move to the Saudi-Pro League for an eye-watering £65m and a 2-0 defeat to struggling Wolves at the weekend left them in eighth place in the Premier League table and they have a Champions League Round of 16 clash to look forward to. Asensio is a clever player, quick-footed and with superb delivery and he can play either on the wing, as an attacking midfielder or even as a number ten. In the aftermath of defeat to Wolves Emery said: “I think we’ll get some players to help us because we’re in the Champions League. We have to get points in the Premier League to be top eight, seven, six, five.”
In other Ligue 1 2025 news, another labouring Premier League team is ready to dip into the French market with Tottenham Hotspur reaching an agreement to sign Lens centre back Kevin Danso, initially on loan until the end of the season. The powerful 26 year old has been at Lens since he transferred from FC Augsburg in 2021 and he has made 112 appearances for the Ligue 1 side. Spurs are in desperate need of a dominant force in their top four, under Ange Postecoglou the Londoners are great to watch but often too easy to break down.
Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers looked set to sign Danso on loan having reached their own agreement but they have been edged out by Spurs after the Austria international pulled out of a medical at Molineux.
Elsewhere, fourth placed OSC Lille have taken steps to strengthen their top three challenge with the loan signing of striker Chuba Akpom from Dutch side Ajax. With Mohammed Bayo set to sign for Antwerp in the Belgian top flight and Jonathan David’s contract due to expire in the summer the French club need to strengthen and Akpom is a proven goal scorer, registering 33 goals in 77 games for Middlesbrough, winning the Championship Golden Boot, and 14 in 42 for Ajax and, at 29 years of age the striker is in his prime.
Lille beat English Championship promotion chasers Sunderland to Akpom’s signature and he was also tracked by Fiorentina, so the club has high hopes for their new signing.
Champions League play-off drama to come
The SBOTOP Ligue 1 2025 betting odds have long since insisted the domestic title is heading back to the Parc des Princes and Luis Enrique’s side emphasised their credentials with that resounding 5-2 win away to Stade Brest on Saturday. The victory took the Parisiens 13 points clear at the top of the table ahead of Olympique Marseilles who are due to host Lyon on Sunday night.
The win over Brest, as Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick, was also a dress rehearsal for the Champions League play-offs as the two teams are set to meet again on Tuesday 11th February, but before then PSG face third placed AS Monaco in a crunch Ligue 1 clash. Enrique’s men are hot favourites to go through to the Champions League Round of 16 but Brest have showed, time and again, they are not to be taken lightly in France or in Europe.
AS Monaco are still in the Champions League too and, after finishing 17th in the table, one place outside the seeded spots, they will face Portuguese giants Benfica in their play-off. Monaco will fancy their chances in this tie; they are in good form having just beaten Auxerre 4-2 in Ligue 1 to make it three wins in four while Benfica, trailing Sporting Lisbon in the Portuguese Primera Division, have lost four of their last six games in all competitions.
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