Aston Villa

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Over the course of Wednesday, we're putting your questions to BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor and he has given his usual weighty analysis.

In the first part, he takes a look at what Unai Emery's priority should be for the final months of the season - Champions League or FA Cup?

Rob asked: As a Villa fan I'm interested what would financially carry a better reward for the club. Winning the FA Cup or reaching the Champions League semi-final?

Mike said: You will probably have seen, Rob, estimates of how much Villa have banked from the Champions League this season – probably north of £75 million already.

No doubt there will be another packed house for Paris St-Germain in the quarters to add in and the further they get, the more valuable the exposure becomes. Let's suppose a semi-final could take that total to £100m.

In the short-term, that marginal gain would outrank the FA Cup in terms of finances, but winning that, would open up the Europa League for next season, in which you would expect Villa to be a serious contender.

Although much less lucrative than the Champions League, if Villa reached the later rounds, it would surely make up the difference and some more.

Villa's long-term plans really depend on regular European football, so an FA Cup win would be important beyond just the historical prestige of winning it again at last.

And yet I'm not sure Unai Emery is thinking in terms of prioritising one over the other, though. He talks like a man aiming for everything.

Come back later for part two where Mike will be looking into Villa's options for loan players...

Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Head coach Unai Emery is pushing for Aston Villa to sign Spain forward Marco Asensio, 29, on a permanent basis following his loan switch from Paris St-Germain. (GiveMeSport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Manchester United have raised their asking price for 27-year-old striker Marcus Rashford, whose form on loan at Aston Villa has earned him an England recall. (Football Insider), external

Aston Villa might sell 23-year-old Argentine midfielder Enzo Barrenechea to Valencia in the summer, following a successful loan spell with the Spanish club. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Want more transfer news? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Image source, Getty Images

Into the business end of the season and Aston Villa still have plenty of play for.

We're putting our Villa expert on the spot for any questions you've got about whatever subject you choose - from transfers to tactics or injuries or anything in between?

BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor will answer a selection later this week.

Submit your question for Mike here

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on the recent England squad announcement, which saw Marcus Rashford return but did not include Villa striker Ollie Watkins.

Here are some of your comments:

Solo: Watkins displays incredible industry week in week out, which can compensate for him not being a natural finisher. His stats for chances missed would seem to support this claim. I often wonder if there is another way to play him to maximise his returns at Villa but England want a goal machine like Harry Kane, who is bang in form.

David: Watkins has been his usual understated self this year so will go under the radar. He also has a knock so I'm not surprised he's not in the England squad. I'd much rather he has a good rest to get ready for the rest of the season.

Prit: Surprised that Watkins didn't make the squad. Even though his numbers are not as good as last season, he's more than worth a call-up. No surprise that Rashford is in the squad as he has been outstanding since his move to Villa. Before United fans start crowing that he hasn't scored, they need to look at his assists, speed on transition and his significant contribution to Aston Villa reaching the last eight of the Champions League and FA Cup.

Steve: Was really hoping for a fresh approach. Dan Burn, Jordan Henderson, Kyle Walker, Reece James and Jarell Quansah should be nowhere near this squad. No Watkins is criminal. Same old same old. What's the definition of madness?

Dylan: I think that Watkins should have joined the squad. He is doing all right in the Premier League, whereas Gordon has had a shocking season in my opinion.

Marcus Rashford could play his first international in a year after being included in Thomas Tuchel's first England squad.

Having been out of favour at Manchester United and at the end of Gareth Southgate's Three Lions tenure, does the forward on loan at Aston Villa actually merit a starting berth against either Albania or Latvia?

Former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown tells The Football News Show why Rashford deserves his recall.

Watch The Football News Show on BBC iPlayer

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Several Premier League clubs are tracking the development of Cardiff midfielder Troy Perrett.

Perrett, 18, has been compared with Wales legend Aaron Ramsey in academy circles.

Aston Villa are among those to previously show an interest in Perrett prior to him signing his current professional contract with the Bluebirds in July 2024.

Perrett is capable of playing as a number eight or number 10 and is a Wales Under-19 international.

The teenager has trained with the first team, been an unused substitute in the Championship and was recently praised by his manager Omer Riza.

Thomas Tuchel has explained his decision to re-introduce Marcus Rashford to the England squad, highlighting his "impressive" form since moving to Aston Villa.

Rashford was omitted from Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad and has not played for his country since March last year, but has been recalled ahead of the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

The new boss was clear though that he does not wish for the striker on loan from Manchester United to fall into "old routines."

"[Rashford is] a familiar face, back in the team," Tuchel said. "I felt that he has had a huge impact at Aston Vila since he moved. Mostly from the bench but the impact has been impressive.

"The physical impact was impressive and most importantly his impact against the ball - his defensive ability, his work rate and his tracking back was impressive. I had the strong feeling that we should bring him in and to push him to stay on that level to not fall back on old routines."

Marcus Rashford's form since arriving on loan at Aston Villa in January has led toan England recall for the first time since March 2024, joining team-mates Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa in Thomas Tuchel's inaugural squad.

However, semi-final hero at Euro 2024 Ollie Watkins is missing from the group announced on Friday. has not been selected.

How are you feeling about the squad?

Did Rashford's form justify it?

And what's happened with Watkins?

Let us know here.

Read more on the England squad selection.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for you to tell us in just one sentence why Aston Villa will qualify for the Champions League.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: As reigning champions.

Prit: Strength in depth and the master strategist that is Unai Emery.

Andy: Because they have an appealing mixture of youth, naivety and experience that is rolling a crest of a wave.

Nick: January transfer business!

Phil: Villa are coming into form, with a fully-fit squad, play teams around them next month and will take points from them.

Lee: One word - Asensio!

Jeremy: Squad depth, fewer injuries and in Unai we trust!

Michael: We have a better manager, better squad and a much better fanbase than the opposing teams!

Jonathan: Aston Villa are going to beat Barcelona in the final of the Champions League to qualify for it next season.

Roma and England striker Tammy Abraham, 27, who is currently on loan at AC Milan, has told friends he is keen to return to Aston Villa this summer. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

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Ten games to go and we need your positivity.

It is looking likely the Premier League will be awarded an extra Champions League spot for the 2025-26 season, so finishing fifth will mean a seat at Europe's top table.

We want you to tell us, in just one sentence, why Aston Villa will qualify for the Champions League.

Let us know here

Aston Villa and Arsenal are the last Premier League clubs standing in the Champions League and they both face European giants in the quarter-final stage.

Unai Emery's men will have to overcome Paris St-Germain for a place in the semi-final but will have home advantage in the second leg.

Should Villa and Arsenal progress, they will play one another in the semi-final.

On the other side of the draw, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona await, meaning Villa would face one of those four in the final if they make it to the end.

Image source, Getty Images

Prince William was in attendance at Villa Park as Aston Villa progressed into the European Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 42 years.

Unai Emery's men are targeting the club's first premier continental trophy since they won the European Cup in 1982 - the year the next in line to the throne was born.

We asked for your thoughts after Aston Villa progressed to the Champions League quarter-final with victory over Club Brugge.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: Magical night. A nervy first half but we took the handbrake off in the second half! Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford are looking the business. It was nice to see Ian Maatsen get his goal. We are going to need to be at our maximum for the quarters-finals.

Prit: On another spine-tingling Villa Park night, our Champions League dream continues! That said, even with a man down, Club Brugge were much the better team in the first half. With Unai Emery's second-half substitutes, we looked faster in transition and our passing was much sharper. Clearly Asensio must be carrying some kind of knock otherwise he would be playing for 90 minutes, but what a player. With Emery and Asensio going back to Paris, I'm sure both have unfinished business in the city of love.

Yasuaki: I'm not sure we'll manage to overturn PSG but even if that is where our Champions League adventure ends, I can't complain. I hope we will give the best account of ourselves and I'm sure Unai will have some ideas about his old club. Credit to Brugge too - they probably deserved more from the first leg and they were a real battling opponent.

Jonathan: PSG were excellent against Liverpool but in the group stage they were underwhelming. Whichever version turns up in the quarter-finals, I wouldn't write off Villa's chances.

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

Marco Asensio's Paris St-Germain career has been forgettable - but he now has the chance to make them remember his name.

The 29-year-old can face his parent club in their Champions League quarter-final showdown against Aston Villa next month, after moving from Parc des Princes to Villa Park on loan in February.

His second-half double in Wednesday's 3-0 second-leg win over Club Brugge in the last 16 puts him on a collision course with PSG, who beat Liverpool on penalties on Tuesday.

Uefa rules state clubs cannot apply "any influence whatsoever over the players that another club may (or may not) field in a match" - meaning PSG's Champions League dream could end at the hands of their own player.

A move to Villa has reinvigorated him, and only PSG's Ousmane Dembele (eight) has scored more goals in Europe's big five leagues across all competitions than Asensio since his debut for Villa last month (seven).

Those goals have come in eight games - three in the last-16 tie against Club Brugge - with the Spain attacking midfielder willing to wait before focusing on his return to Paris.

He said: "[I'm] very comfortable. Very happy with the team-mates, the fans and the city. In one or two weeks, we have time to think about this [PSG] game.

"In every match, the atmosphere is top. We want more. Now we have a little break and to think about the upcoming objectives.

"I like to score there [the Holte End]. We're adapting to the new players but in the right way."

Thursday's newspaper back pages highlight the comfortable manner in which Villa 'cruised' into the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Club Brugge 6-1 over two legs.

They will face French giants Paris St-Germain in the last eight.

For Unai Emery, it is the chance to take Villa's dream even deeper into the tournament and he will - no doubt - enjoy trying to plot his former club's downfall.

These are heady days for Villa.

Image source, Daily Mirror and The Guardian