Real Madrid must secure the future of 27-year-old winger Marco Asensio amid his stunning form and contract uncertainty.
With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2023, the future of Marco Asensio at Real Madrid is up in the air. However, his recent form and impact coming off the bench have been crucial for the team’s success, making it imperative for Los Blancos to do everything possible to secure the Spanish winger’s future at the club.
Despite being below the likes of Rodrygo and Vinicius in the pecking order, Asensio has proven his worth every time he stepped onto the pitch. He has left fans and pundits alike in awe of his talent.
The Spain international joined Los Blancos back in the summer of 2015 from RCD Mallorca. After arriving in the Spanish capital, the 27-year-old was sent out on loan to Espanyol where he had an impressive season. He returned to Madrid and made his official Real Madrid debut on August 9, 2016.
Asensio burst onto the scene scoring bangers after bangers. Every time he was on the pitch, the Real Madrid fans started expecting him to deliver. And, the initial years did go according to plan for the Spanish winger.
The Love Affair with Real Madrid
In his first full season at Real Madrid, Asensio featured in 38 matches. He was used as a regular substitute in key matches. And, he was on the pitch for over 1,900 minutes. The 27-year-old has contributed with ten goals and four assists. It was the perfect start to his career at Real Madrid.
He went from strength to strength in the second season, scoring 11 goals and providing six in his 53 appearances. The Spain international was now a prominent figure in the team and had secured over 2800 minutes in his second season itself.
But, in the third season, injuries started troubling the winger. While he did manage to feature in a lot of games, the injuries were early signs of what was about to hit him in the near future. He featured in 44 matches and was involved in 15 goals in the 2018/19 season. The season that followed was a proper nightmare for the Real Madrid winger as he spent the majority of the time on the sidelines.
Injuries Derail a Promising Career
After heroics in three back-to-back seasons for Los Blancos, Asensio hit a rough patch because of injuries. He had already won numerous trophies with the club and was considered to be one of their most important players alongside the big stars for the 2019/20 season.
However, things did not go according to plan as he suffered an ACL rupture that saw him miss the majority of the season. The 27-year-old winger could only feature in ten matches. Despite being on the pitch for just around 350 minutes, he contributed with three goals and assists.
While things did improve in the following two seasons, he lost his spark. Asensio featured in 90 matches over the next two seasons but could only contribute towards 23 goals. The 27-year-old failed to meet the expectations of the fans as he failed to reach his potential.
Slowly, he started to fall out of favour at Madrid. And, despite the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale over time, the Spain international could not become the centre of their project. While he hardly featured in the first half of the season, the 27-year-old has been involved in quite a few matches of late and he has repaid the faith of the manager.
Marco Asensio: From Injury-Plagued to Unstoppable
🇪🇸 Asensio is having his best season at Real Madrid, so far:
• 11 goals
• 7 assists— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) April 22, 2023
The ongoing season did not start according to plan for the Spain international. Rodrygo Goes and Federico Valverde were ahead of him in the pecking order, and the 27-year-old found himself sitting on the bench for the majority of the time.
With his contract set to expire in the summer, the common belief was that Real Madrid would not push for a renewal. And, they would allow the Spanish winger to leave for free ahead of next season.
But, things seem to have taken a U-turn of late. Marco Asensio is back at his best. He has had quite a few opportunities of late and has made sure to make it count. The 27-year-old came off the bench in the last 20 minutes to score a crucial second goal in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea. It proved to be a very important goal for Los Blancos as they have once again made it to the semi-final of the Champions League.
As far as the league is concerned, Asensio has started in the last four fixtures, and he has five goal contributions. He has scored thrice and assisted twice. His recent form has forced Madrid to think about a potential renewal. Ancelotti is now desperate to keep him at the club for a few more years and wants the club to negotiate a contract with Spain international before the season ends.
Why Real Madrid Can’t Afford to Lose Asensio?
Carlo Ancelotti: “I like Marco Asensio a lot — it’s normal many clubs like him, but I hope he will stay here with us at Real Madrid”. ⚪️ #RealMadrid
“Hazard? We didn’t speak a lot. I don’t ask the players to come and speak to me, but if they need or want… here I’m”. pic.twitter.com/qnedTpIa3E
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 24, 2023
Asensio has managed to revive himself in recent weeks. He has come off the bench at times to make decisive contributions. And, of late, the 27-year-old has started quite a few fixtures where he has been the mainstay of Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
While he is still behind Rodrygo and Valverde in the pecking order, Asensio can still have a big role at the club. Their priority heading into the transfer market is to sign Jude Bellingham. And, if they do not push for a winger, the Spain international could prove to be a great cover for the team on the right flank.
Given the amount of experience he has playing for the Merengues and his understanding of the Real Madrid system, Asensio could to an integral part of their setup for years to come.
He is still 27 and has quite a few years left in him. Rodrygo is a right-footed winger, and Valverde prefers to play in the centre of the park. On the other hand, Asensio is a left-footed winger who loves to cut inside from the right and do the damage. He has the ability to score from distance, dribble past players and create chances for his teammates.
Real Madrid do not seem to have a player with his abilities in their ranks at this point in time. While he might not have been a regular for them at the start of the season, he is still a world-class winger. If they do end up losing out on free, they will have to spend big in the summer to acquire someone with similar qualities.
As a result, offloading someone like Eden Hazard could be a better option for Los Blancos. Marco Asensio adds an x-factor to their attack and keeping him is a must for Madrid.
The Spain international recently said, “I’m getting opportunities and I’m happy and enjoying it a lot. I’m playing consistently and that also helps a lot for my confidence.”
The player’s words suggest that he is keen on staying at Real Madrid. He loves the club and would surely be happy to continue in the Spanish capital if the club manage to put forward just the right contract for him.
