Real Madrid News
Real Madrid offer new €4.8 million-a-year deal to forward, player wants €6 million
With several Real Madrid players set to be out of contract in the summer, the club need to start making moves to tie down the stars they intend to keep hold of.
One such player who Real Madrid seem interested in retaining is Marco Asensio.
The 27-year-old looked certain to depart early in the season, but has managed to work his way back into Carlo Ancelotti’s plans and proved that he can be of value to the team.
It has led to the club altering their stance on his future, with Los Blancos now ready to keep him at the Santiago Bernabeu beyond the current season.
According to Tomas Gonzalez-Martin, Real Madrid have already tabled a four-year contract to Asensio with a salary of €4.8 million per year.
It represents a slight increase in his current wages, which stand at around €4.5 million per season. However, Asensio’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is unlikely to accept these terms and is seeking a deal worth €6 million-a-year net.
The Portuguese super-agent will push for at least €5.5 million per season, but Real Madrid are unlikely to exceed the €5 million mark as per the report.
This is because Los Blancos believe that Asensio will never be a guaranteed starter at the club and they do not want to splurge heavily on a squad player.
The winger, for his part, has always maintained that he wants to stay at Real Madrid. But he is also seeking a prominent role and a bigger payday. If that is the case, a move away from the club could be the way forward for the ex-Mallorca star.
PSG were said to have tried signing him in the January window, and would be willing to offer him a €15 million signing bonus in the summer. Clubs from the Premier League and Serie A would also be interested in Asensio’s situation.
So, the ball is in the winger’s court now and it is upto him to decide whether he opts to accept the proposal tabled by Real Madrid or looks for a new challenge away from the Bernabeu.
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.
