One of Liverpool’s reported attacking targets, Marco Asensio, now looks now set to stay at Real Madrid.
In what is a dramatic U-turn, Asensio looked set to leave earlier this month as Madrid looked to offload some of their fringe players.
He was reportedly available for around £20m with Tottenham, Liverpool, AC Milan and even Newcastle interested.
The Spaniard has since changed his mind due to Gareth Bale and Luka Jovic leaving which should equal more game time for the winger.
🚨| Real Madrid’s goal is to NOT let Asensio leave for free next season. @diarioas #rmalive
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) July 11, 2022
According to reports from Spain, Asensio is happy to stay and fight for a place now after recent sales.
The key facts from the reports are that Madrid haven’t made a renewal proposal as of yet and he fancies himself to be a starter going into this season.
Madrid only have him and Rodrygo on the right-wing now Bale has left and he could be followed by Isco as well, paving the way for more minutes for the 26-year-old.
Madrid had looked to cut ties with Asensio as he has entered the final year of his deal which runs out next summer.
This touch from Marco Asensio. 🇪🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/6w1pKt4SNd
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) July 9, 2022
The winger has never held down a consistent place in the starting line-up over the years but has contributed 49 goals and 24 assists in 235 games for Los Blancos.
His stats from last year do show an improvement: 12 goals in all competitions, including 10 in the league as Madrid won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
What does stand out is Asensio’s goal-to-minute ratio. He scored 10 goals from 31 appearances in 1,704 minutes of action.
That’s a goal every 1.89 games which is a good return for a winger who’s never particularly boasted a regular output – perhaps a reason for Madrid to trust the winger for another season at least.
