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Aston Villa have bolstered their ranks with five new arrivals in an attempt to ensure a strong second half of the campaign.
Right-back Andres Garcia (£2.5m) and forward Donyell Malen (£2.9m) have joined on a permanent basis but it’s the Villains’ loanees who may appeal most to gaffers.
Defender Axel Disasi (£3.3m) has temporarily switched over from Chelsea while Marco Asensio (£3.5m) has joined from PSG.
The Spain international is an interesting prospect.
Dubbed a wonderkid in his younger years, the 29-year-old hasn’t quite lived up to expectations but he remains a talented player who is capable of significant contributions in the final third.
Asensio averages a goal or assist every 115.5 minutes in Ligue 1 since his transfer to PSG.
And he averaged a goal involvement every 165.3 minutes over eight seasons in La Liga despite being deemed a second-string option for most of his Real Madrid career.
Crucially, Asensio has been added to the game as a midfielder but it wouldn’t come as a shock if he played some minutes as a centre-forward.
Experienced Dream Team bosses will be the first to acknowledge the heady heights Marcus Rashford (£3.4m) is capable of reaching when everything clicks.
The England international scored 30 goals in all competitions for Manchester United in 2022/23 but his relationship with his boyhood club deteriorated under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
If Unai Emery can restore the 27-year-old’s confidence then there could be more than a few Dream Team points up for grabs, especially with Villa assured of their place in the Champions League last 16.
Manchester City have been the biggest spenders this winter.
Gaffers have already had a look at Abdukodir Khusanov (£3.2m) and Omar Marmoush (£4.5m); the former desperately struggled against Chelsea but the latter has looked bright in his two outings, without the points to show for it.
The defending …
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