Real Madrid News
18-year-old Real Madrid target poised to sign new long-term contract with current club
Real Madrid and Juni Calafat have turned up the heat in their Brazilian scouting in recent years. No talent has gone unnoticed and it is clear that Los Blancos highly value the South American market.
After the success of Vinicius Jr, Eder Militao and Rodrygo, the plan has worked like a charm. Moreover, Reinier too is at the club and could well be the next star to make his name.
Earlier this year, another Brazilian talent Matheus Nascimento was closely linked with a move to the Castilla. However, as reported by AS, even though it was the management’s objective to sign the youngster, he is now close to signing a five-year contract with his club Botafogo.
The Brazilian club see Nascimento as a massive asset for their future and are unwilling to let go of him at such an early stage of his career. The contract extension is a step in the same direction as Botafogo owner John Textor said earlier this year (h/t Reuters):
“We are offering a contract that is extremely lucrative to him as a player but we are also hardwiring in the contract a guarantee first-team roster spot in Europe with the clubs in which we have ownership.”
The 18-year-old is often called the Brazilian Cavani for his lethal presence in the box. Yet, his playing style is far from that of just a poacher.
He is known for his ability to create spaces with his movements and finish with precision. His role is closer to that of a No. 10 than that of a 9, and Real Madrid could use such a unique profile to great effect.
However, as things stand, Matheus Nascimento is poised to sign a new five-year contract with Botafogo. Whether that discourages Real Madrid from going after the 18-year-old sensation remains to be seen.
Marco Asensio is fighting for his future at Real Madrid. The 27-year-old winger is out of contract at the end of the season and there is no concrete decision made by the club over his renewal as of yet.
Some reports had suggested that the club had tabled an offer worth €4 million per year, which the Spaniard did not like as he sought a higher pay packet closer to around €6 million-a-year.
With his future a subject of intense speculation, Asensio had been linked with a move away to Premier League clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool.
Meanwhile, closer to home, there were strong links to Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona. Indeed, the Catalans have been touted as potential suitors for Asensio for quite some time now due to the fact that he is represented by Jorge Mendes.
The superagent has close ties with Barcelona president Joan Laporta and reports in Spain have suggested that the Real Madrid winger has, indeed, been offered to the current La Liga leaders.
Amidst these speculations, however, Asensio has seemingly made it clear as to where his heart lies as he awaits a decision on his future.
During last night’s El Clasico against Barcelona, the Real Madrid winger came on as a substitute and went on to score a goal, following which he celebrated at Camp Nou, pointing to the Real Madrid logo on his shirt, showing where his allegiances lie.
The goal, however, was disallowed by the VAR, and Los Blancos ended up losing the game 2-1 thanks to a stoppage-time winner by Franck Kessie.
Earlier today, Asensio took to Instagram and posted a picture of him celebrating with his finger pointing to the Real Madrid logo, reiterating his commitment to the club amidst the links to Barcelona.
As for his disallowed goal, it sparked an angry reaction from Carlo Ancelotti, who questioned the legitimacy of the decision made by the VAR during his post-match press conference.
