Arsenal and Liverpool have both been credited with an interest in Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio, with £40m being the touted price.
The 21-year-old returned to the Bernabeu last summer after a loan spell with Espanyol, and has had nothing more than a bit-part role under Zinedine Zidane this season.
With 25 appearances to his name in all competitions, the Spaniard has scored eight goals and provided one assist in those outings to prove that he certainly has talent and is regarded as a top prospect moving forward.
However, it seems as though Madrid’s resolve will be tested this summer as Arsenal and Liverpool are ready to launch big-money offers to try and prise him away from the Spanish capital.
According to Don Balon, Sevilla and Juventus have joined the Premier League duo as interested parties, while The Daily Star adds that Madrid value him at around £40m.
It’s added that club president Florentino Perez is a big fan of Asensio and wishes to see him flourish in Madrid, but if the top clubs mentioned above start making enquiries and are willing to part with significant fees, then perhaps his position on the matter will change.
Naturally, when Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema are fit and in form, opportunities will be limited at Madrid. Coupled with the likes of James Rodriguez and Isco also knocking on the same door to try and get into the starting line-up, it’s certainly a tough situation for Asensio to be in as he will want to stake his claim with the La Liga giants.
Based on the latest reports though, it could be a case of who makes the most appealing offer before Madrid decide to sell and reinvest that money in the squad.