Real Madrid News
Real Madrid still in talks with soon-to-be-free forward, no decision made yet – Romano
With Marco Asensio set to become a free agent at the end of the season, Real Madrid have been locked in negotiations with the Spaniard to reach an agreement over a new contract.
On Wednesday, reports emerged stating that the 27-year-old was unhappy with the €4 million contract proposal tabled by Los Blancos and was holding out for a salary of €6 million per year.
It led to speculations that Asensio might walk away from the club in the summer as a free agent.
But, Fabrizio Romano (via Caught Offside) has come up with an update on the matter, stating that a final decision has not been made by Asensio yet and talks are still ongoing between the player and Real Madrid.
“Talks continue between Real Madrid and Marco Asensio. There’s no final decision yet, despite some speculation to the contrary,” Romano said.
At the same time, though, the Italian transfer expert said that the Premier League could be an option for Asensio, with his agents having held talks with English clubs last summer itself.
“His agent already spoke with English clubs last summer, but it’s Asensio who has to decide: new deal or leave on a free,” he added.
Asensio had gained some prominence under Carlo Ancelotti just before and after the World Cup break. However, the winger has once again been struggling for regular minutes of late, which has added to his frustration.
There is no shortage of interest in the Spanish international though as the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, and Liverpool as well.
So, it will be interesting to see how things develop on this front in the coming weeks and whether Real Madrid and Asensio are able to come to an agreement over a new contract or part ways in the summer.
According to Jose Felix Diaz of MARCA, Real Madrid still consider Carlo Ancelotti as the ideal man to coach the team next season amid all sorts of speculations surrounding his future.
Ancelotti returned to Real Madrid for a second stint as manager in 2021, replacing Zinedine Zidane. The Italian mastermind led Los Blancos to the La Liga title and the UEFA Champions League triumph in his very first season back at the club.
However, things have not gone according to plans for Ancelotti & co. this season. Real Madrid are 12 points below Barcelona in La Liga, are also behind them in the Copa del Rey semi-final tie and face a difficult route to the finals of the UEFA Champions League.
So even though he has won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup this season, reports have claimed that Ancelotti could be sacked by Real Madrid if he does not lead the team to a major title.
In the meantime, the Brazil national team have made their interest in hiring Ancelotti as their next manager clear, which has only served to fuel speculations further.
Amidst this, the report states that Real Madrid continue to see Ancelotti as the ideal man to coach the team for the next season. The Italian, for his part, has always maintained that he does not wish to leave the Santiago Bernabeu before his contract expires in 2024.
“I want to continue at Real Madrid. I’m happy. I’ve already said many times that I would continue my whole life at Real Madrid,” he had said in the recent past.
At this point, neither Ancelotti has made any commitments to the Brazilian national team, nor Real Madrid have made a decision on his continuity. The Merengues have not approached any replacement candidates either despite links to Mauricio Pochettino, Raul Gonzalez and Julian Nagelsmann.
Furthermore, it is also claimed that Ancelotti continues to participate and have a say in all meetings with regard to planning for the future at Real Madrid.
However, while the club may remain committed to him at this point, there is no guarantee that the situation will change in the summer, especially if the objectives for the season are not met and Real feel the need to make some changes to their project.
