Liverpool are considering making an audacious €75 million move for Real Madrid superstar Marco Asensio.
According to El Desmarque, Liverpool are willing to table a €75 million bid for Marco Asensio as Jurgen Klopp aims to bolster his attacking department this summer. The Reds are fresh from securing their sixth major European title last season by beating Tottenham Hotspur in the final. And they have now set their sights on this Real Madrid star, it seems.
However, Asensio is regarded as one of Zinedine Zidane’s favourite players. In fact, the Frenchman considers him the most gifted left-footed player he has seen, after Lionel Messi, and that is quite a compliment. And despite Madrid’s spending spree this summer, Zidane believed that Asensio would play a vital role in the coming season.
The Spanish international endured a disastrous campaign following the departure of Zidane at the end of the 2017/18 season. He made 30 league appearances but scored only one goal while mustering six assists. Asensio’s struggles in his productivity coincided with Real Madrid’s lack of spark in attack as Los Merengues experienced a turbulent campaign.
As far as the player is concerned, remaining at the Bernabeu next season could make sense as he could hope to revive his career under Zidane. Besides, he is expected to play a crucial role alongside Eden Hazard in the wide-attacking slots, especially if Gareth Bale ends up leaving the club this summer. That means the Spaniard won’t struggle with lack of game-time.
However, a move to Liverpool will force Asensio to feature in a more central role in Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3 unless he somehow manages to outshine either of Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah, which is unlikely. And this could be a huge problem for a player who is predominantly identified as a left-winger.
For Liverpool, however, the addition of Asensio makes sense as he can not only provide the solution in the attacking midfield role but can also enhance their overall chance creation in the final third. Besides, the 23-year-old can be considered as a long-term replacement if any of Salah or Mane leaves the club.
As for Real Madrid, they were reportedly plotting a swap deal between Mane and Asensio earlier this month. And that makes sense as Los Merengues evidently need an explosive winger down the wings and the Senegalese can provide that. On the flip side, Asensio’s more technically astute game-play could have combined with Salah’s pace and dynamism on the flanks, thus adding another dimension to the Liverpool attack.
But then again, it’s unlikely Zidane will want to let go of his prized asset without getting anything in return. Hence, the Reds should give up hopes in their pursuit of Asensio unless they plan to include someone like Mane and Salah in an exchange deal. However, the unpredictable nature of the transfer market leads us to believe that there may be further twists in this story in the coming weeks.
