Manchester United and Chelsea are set to battle it out for the services of Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio this summer.
According to Diario SPORT (h/t Sport Witness), Marco Asensio is staring at an uncertain future at Real Madrid this summer, with his current deal expiring at the end of next season. Real Madrid are willing to offer him a new contract but are not willing to meet his desired wage demands.
It could pave the way for Asensio to leave the club, with the European champions valuing the player at around €40 million. The forward has no shortage of suitors either with Chelsea and Manchester United among the clubs interested in acquiring his services ahead of the new season.
Manchester United have endured a rather slow start to their transfer window, having failed to attract a single star player. They are in talks with Barcelona over Frenkie de Jong, but an agreement is yet to be finalised. Nevertheless, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Asensio, knowing the Spaniard offers a wealth of experience and could be an interesting addition to the table.
A versatile winger who can operate in a number ten role if required, Asensio could indeed be an ideal replacement for Jesse Lingard. The Englishman is currently a free agent this summer after running down his contract at Old Trafford. A return to West Ham could be in the offing for Lingard, whereas Juan Mata and Paul Pogba have also left Manchester United this summer.
The addition of Asensio could add freshness to the Manchester United creative unit, thus reducing the burden on Bruno Fernandes. However, Manchester United could be facing stiff competition from Chelsea in the pursuit of the Real Madrid superstar.
With rumours swirling around the future of Hakim Ziyech, who is a target for AC Milan, among other top clubs, Chelsea are expected to bring in a host of attacking players in the summer, as part of Thomas Tuchel’s grand overhaul in the final third.
Asensio could be an interesting addition to the side, although, given the struggles of Saul Niguez in the Premier League last season, Tuchel may have a rethink before making an attempt to sign the Real Madrid forward.
Considering that he is in the final year of his contract, it won’t be surprising to see Real Madrid lowering their price tag for the Spanish international in the coming weeks. With AC Milan also in the fray for Asensio’s signing it will be interesting to see where the former RCD Mallorca starlet moves this summer.
