da doce： Manchester United are reportedly interested in completing the signing of Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio this winter, amid uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club…
What’s the word?
da bwin： Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is looking to continue stamping his mark on the Theatre of Dreams, having spent a lucrative £213m on a host of star-studded names this summer, and Spanish winger Asensio has been distinguished as a shrewd acquisition to lure to the club in the near future.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, United are set to advance interest in the 26-year-old with his contract set for expiry with Los Blancos at the conclusion of the current season and no initiation regarding talks for renewal in sight.
With the Glazer family – long-time, despised owners of Man United – putting the club up for sale in November, technical director John Murtough is not quite able to throw cash around with reckless abandon, but a move for Asensio could be both affordable and viable for Old Trafford.
“Magical”
United could wait until the summer and snap him up on a free transfer, but they will likely face competition from a host of top European competitors, and with the Daily Mail reporting that Arsenal and Liverpool were eyeing the player in a deal worth less than £25m this summer, Ten Hag might be successful in prising him away from the Santiago Bernabeu for a fee well below his market value.
Real Madrid snapped Asensio up from Spanish Segunda division side Mallorca for a paltry £3.3m, when he was just 18 years old; he has since made 250 appearances, scoring 52 goals and registering 27 assists.
And with a wealth of major honours, including three La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies, there is a winning mentality woven into his core – a trait that United could certainly benefit from, having failed to clinch silverware since 2017.
An ACL injury ruled Asensio out for 39 fixtures during the 19/20 campaign, hampering his progress and derailing his journey as a Madrid mainstay, and despite still playing a part at the prestigious club, he now looks set to depart at the end of the campaign.
The 35-cap phenom would certainly bring a sweet blend of skills to Old Trafford, with FBref ranking him within the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals, the top 7% for total shots and the top 10% for pass completion per 90 over the past year – setting his clinical prowess and slick passing play among the very best of the globe’s forward sensations.
This season, the £118k-per-week dynamo has got three goals and assists apiece despite starting just three times across all competitions, and given a platform to earn regular minutes at the Theatre of Dreams, he may well flourish, utilising his pace and direct, peppering approach to devastating effect.
And with current Red Devil – and former Real teammate – Casemiro once lauding the player for possessing something “magical” about his game, United could soon unleash the player to wreak his wizardry on the Premier League.