Real Madrid News
Exit-linked Real Madrid winger wants to continue at the club beyond summer
Marco Asensio is one of several Real Madrid players whose contract with the club expires at the end of the season. The winger has been linked with an exit from the Santiago Bernabeu, with several clubs keen on signing him as a free agent.
However, according to a report from AS, Asensio is keen on staying put at Real Madrid. The Spaniard sees himself as capable of competing for the starting berth at the club which he has lost this season and does not wish to leave.
Asensio has been on the books of the club since 2015, when he arrived, and has been in the first-team picture after a season-long loan with Espanyol.
Once regarded as the future of the Merengues, Asensio’s progress was halted by a serious injury. Since returning, the 26-year-old has been unable to hit the heights expected of him and has gradually lost his place in the side.
The winger was heavily linked with an exit last summer when negotiations over a new contract fell through. However, the forward did not leave as he could not find a project that best suited him.
Asensio found game-time hard to come by under Carlo Ancelotti in the early parts of this season. However, the winger gained prominence just before the World Cup break while his performances as a false-nine for Spain have added more weight to his continuity.
In a recent press conference, commenting on the contract situations of his players, Ancelotti said: “The renewals do not worry me, because I see everyone very connected. Ceballos, Asensio, Modric, Kroos… we will be able to evaluate all their cases.
“I want to make one thing very clear: I have full confidence in these players between now and June. If they consider that it is best to leave, I will be happy too, for them.”
Asensio has been linked with clubs like Juventus, AC Milan and Manchester United in the past, while Real Madrid’s arch-rivals Barcelona are also said to be keeping tabs on his situation.
But, as things stand, it seems like Asensio wants to remain at the Santiago Bernabeu. And he will have the next six months to convince Real Madrid to hand him a new contract.
According to a report from journalist Jorge C Picon, former Tottenham Hotspur and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino is in pole position to become the next manager of Real Madrid, if Carlo Ancelotti leaves at the end of the season.
Ancelotti’s topic has become a topic of much debate and discussion over the past few weeks. The Italian tactician has a contract that runs until next year and has stated that he wishes to see it out.
However, the team’s failure to win any major title this season could end up spelling trouble or the 63-year-old. The La Liga title looks like a lost cause already while Real Madrid are in a disadvantageous position in Copa del Rey as well.
The UEFA Champions League remains Ancelotti’s best bet to win a trophy this season. Should he do so, the Italian could continue at Real Madrid or even possibly sign a new contract extension.
But, failure to land the trophy could end his second stint at the Santiago Bernabeu and Pochettino is said to be the frontrunner for the position in that case.
The Argentine is currently unemployed after being sacked by PSG in July last year. The 51-year-old did not have the most memorable of stints in Paris but his stock has not diminished in the Real Madrid offices, who had considered appointing him once before as well.
Thomas Tuchel was also a candidate for Real Madrid and talks were also held with him. But, the club informed him that if Ancelotti won the UCL, he would stay on, which played a part in the German signing for Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, club legend Raul Gonzalez, who is currently the manager of Real Madrid Castilla, is also a candidate, but is seen only as Plan B, with Pochettino very much the frontrunner at this point.
A lot will depend on how the rest of the season pans out and whether Ancelotti is able to lead Real Madrid to back-to-back Champions League triumphs.
