Real Madrid News
Real Madrid set to open renewal talks with out-of-favour winger
After a topsy-turvy summer transfer window, Marco Asensio eventually ended up staying at Real Madrid, for the 2022/23 season, at least. The Spaniard was linked with a move away in light of his expiring contract, and wanted a considerable salary hike to put pen to paper.
Asensio’s delicate contractual situation found some consequences on the pitch, as well. Across 16 games so far this season, he has started just the one – in the Champions League vs RB Leipzig with Federico Valverde and Rodrygo far ahead of him in the pecking order.
However, it seems Real Madrid want the player to stay anyway, and are planning to open renewal talks with the winger soon, as per a report by MARCA.
Asensio has found himself in the links for a while now, with teams like Manchester United and Liverpool rumoured to be interested. Most surprisingly, Barcelona are also reportedly interested in the Madrid forward, especially since he will not cost a penny in the summer of ’23.
That said, Asensio has made it clear, on and off record that his priority is to stay at Real Madrid for the forseeable future. While his game-time situation is far from ideal right now, the Spanish international is not contemplating a move away.
Before he was hired by Bayern Munich as the direct replacement for Julian Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel was closely linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
The German tactician had kept a close eye on the development at Santiago Bernabeu, especially with coach Carlo Ancelotti facing immense pressure following the club’s poor performances in domestic competitions.
A recent report from Jorge Picon has offered more details on the Tuchel saga, suggesting that the coach was even learning Spanish during his time at Ibiza, anticipating a potential move to Real Madrid at the end of the season.
There were even contacts made between Tuchel’s entourage and Real Madrid. Although the talks were positive, the two sides were not able to reach an agreement.
Real Madrid did not guarantee him the job. They had informed Tuchel that Ancelotti may continue at the Bernabeu in the event the club win the UEFA Champions League this season.
This bit of uncertainty played a critical role in convincing Tuchel to join Bayern Munich instead. The former Chelsea boss was hired as a direct replacement for Nagelsmann, who was sacked after a poor season in the Bundesliga by the club’s high standards.
However, Tuchel’s move to Bayern appears to be a missed opportunity on the German’s part, as Real Madrid have recently intensified their search for a new manager.
It is clear that the club’s hierarchy is yet to reach a consensus over the future of Ancelotti, with some believing that a change is necessary come the end of the season. In fact, the club’s president Florentino Perez has been an admirer of Tuchel’s compatriot Nagelsmann.
The coaching prodigy is one of the candidates to replace Ancelotti in the summer, though it is Mauricio Pochettion who is reportedly leading the race so far.
