Why Asensio is set for Arsenal or Liverpool move
Robin Bairner
- 25 Feb 2022 20:34 GMT
- 3 min read
Marco Asensio look unlikely to remain at Real Madrid beyond the summer, with Arsenal and Liverpool both credited with an interest in the attacker.
Asensio has played 28 times for Los Blancos in all competitions and has returned a very creditable nine goals in the process.
His contribution this season has been overshadowed, however, by the outstanding form of Karim Benzema and the rise of Vinicius Junior, making the 26-year-old less valuable to Madrid in the process.
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Asensio’s contract is up in 2023, and though Real Madrid want to extend it, they are equally wary that this could be their last chance to sell the player for a substantial fee.
El Chiringuito reports that interest has already come from the Premier League, with Liverpool and Arsenal both supposedly interested.
Liverpool are known to be in the market for offensive replacements, but while Arsenal are likely to seek attackers in the summer, their focus is likely to be on the centre-forward area.
Asensio's huge offers
The financial pulling power of the Premier League clubs could see him taken away from Madrid.
Contract talks have opened between Asensio and his current employers, it is reported, with Real Madrid seeking to match the same €4.5 million-per-year salary that he is on.
However, the offers he has been given from the Prmeier League are substantially higher. It is reported that Asensio could earn in the region of €7m per year with Liverpool or Arsenal – representing an increase of more than 50% what he is currently earning.
Although Asensio is regarded as a favourite of head coach Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid do not plan on increasing his wage.
There are concerns that he goes missing in big games and also Madrid have reservations over his attitude. Furthermore, with the club targeting Kylian Mbappe in the summer, they do not want to push their salary cap too much at this juncture.
Arsenal and Liverpool, then, have every chance of capturing the player if they really wish.
