Real Madrid News
Barcelona director wants to sign Real Madrid attacker for Aston Villa, could double salary
According to a fresh update from MARCA, departing Barcelona director Mateu Alemany wants to sign Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio for his next club, Aston Villa. The Premier League club’s manager, Unai Emery, is also on board with the idea.
Asensio, 27, has less than two months left on his current contract with Real Madrid. The Spanish winger has been in talks over a renewal with the Merengues for a while now but an agreement has not yet been reached due to the disparity in wages being offered and demanded.
Asensio had been linked with a shock move to Barcelona a while ago, but those rumours died down. However, Alemany, who is now set to take over as the sporting director at Aston Villa in the summer, wants to take the Real Madrid attacker with him to the Premier League.
Asensio has constantly maintained that his priority is to renew with Real Madrid and the report states that Alemany is well aware of it.
However, the fact that a new deal has not yet been signed with only over a month left on his deal has provided him and Emery encouragement to try and push for a deal.
Aston Villa plan to offer Asensio a lucrative contract worth €8 million per year, which would be double the amount that he currently earns at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But as iterated earlier, the Spanish international continues to prioritise his continuity at Real Madrid. So, even though he has already rejected a contract offer from the club, talks with his agent, Jorge Mendes, have moved in a positive direction and their positions are much closer now.
Apart from Aston Villa, there is interest from AC Milan as well, but their offer is unlikely to match that of the Premier League club.
Asensio has been seeking a prominent role at Real Madrid and in recent weeks, he has been getting much more game-time than in the past. And it remains to be seen if a chance to double his salary and a good sporting project at Villa tempts him.
Real Madrid set out on a mission to change the minds of Dani Ceballos, Marco Asensio and Nacho Fernandez earlier this week. After all, all three players were contemplating a departure from the club for a gross lack of minutes.
Los Blancos’ latest approach seems to have impacted Ceballos’ position in a positive fashion. However, Fabrizio Romano reveals that it has not changed Marco Asensio’s mind.
According to the Italian journalist, the Spaniard will leave Real Madrid at the end of the season as a free agent.
Of the numerous options on his table, he sees Aston Villa and PSG to be the best bets. In fact, Villa have already submitted their opening bid for the player as revealed by Fabrizio Romano once again.
After a dramatic final day of action in the Premier League, Aston Villa finished in the European spots and will participate in the UEFA Conference League next season. While a move to the English club would be a steep step down, it will see Asensio receive regular playing time.
Paris-Saint Germain, on that front, appears the more probable destination. The French club are close to losing both Lionel Messi and Neymar Jr ahead of the new season, and Asensio would thus fit in as a starting quality winger. Moreover, they offer Champions League football.
The Spaniard’s role at Real Madrid this season has not been minor by any means considering his contributions. In 30 La Liga appearances, the 27-year-old has scored nine goals and provided six assists in addition to creating nine big chances and averaging 1.4 key passes per game.
However, that does not satisfy the winger who wishes to be a starter week in and week out. His departure in June appears to be now written in stone, and the club should feel hard done to not make a penny of his move.
Many in Los Blancos’ administration see Brahim Diaz as a direct replacement for the Spanish international if he leaves. Needless to say, the AC Milan star’s future will closely depend on Asensio’s situation.
