Arsenal hold talks for 'very angry' Real Madrid star Barcelona want

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 8 Mar 2023 14:45 GMT
• 3 min read

Arsenal and Milan are among the clubs chasing Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio, who is “very angry” with the manner he has been treated at the Bernabeu by Carlo Ancelotti.

Out of contract in the summer, Asensio is set to become a free agent at the end of June, and this has led to a string of clubs following the 27-year-old.

With six goals and five assists this season, Asensio has chipped in with a valuable contribution for Real Madrid this season, but having played just 1,141 minutes of competitive football across five different competitions, he feels undervalued and wants to leave in the summer.

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Barcelona have been strongly linked with the Spain international, with the Catalans’ poor financial state meaning that they are forced to shop cheaply.

But Barca could face major competition for the attacker, who has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €22.7 million, with Arsenal and Milan targeting a deal.

According to Sport, both clubs have already held talks with Asensio’s entourage and are willing to make a bid.

Meanwhile, Barcelona are also monitoring the situation without having made a concrete approach yet.

What next for Marco Asensio?

Asensio’s future is shrouded in uncertainty, despite the interest from three giant clubs.

This is driven, in part, by Barca’s uncertain financial position. They have been told they will need to make cuts of up to €200m to allow them to make signings next summer, and to that end they have other transfer priorities they will put ahead of Asensio.

With Arsenal and Milan yet to move for the Spain international, there is still realistic scope for another club to swoop in to profit from his position.

What does appear to be certain, though, is that Asensio will leave Real Madrid in the summer.