Real Madrid central defender Nacho is reportedly on his way out of the Santiago Bernabeu and is close to joining Serie A outfit AS Roma.
José Ignacio Fernández Iglesias joined the Real Madrid youth ranks at the age of 11. The Madrid-born defender made his senior debut for the Castilla, Real Madrid’s B side, in the Liga Segunda at the age of 18. The central defender has since appeared in more than 100 league games for the Castilla, scoring 4 goals. Nacho made his first-team Real Madrid La Liga debut in 2011 as a left-back in a 6-3 win over Valencia away at the Mestalla.
He became an official first-team member in the 2013-14 season, receiving the number 18 shirt. The Spaniard has since gone on to make 53 first-team appearances for the club in La Liga, 16 of which came last season. He made his senior international debut for La Roja in 2013 and has made 4 appearances for the Spanish national squad.
The central defender has been regularly linked with a move away from the Bernabeu despite the hierarchy and staff thinking highly of the player’s talent. Nacho was linked with a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea reportedly interested in the defender. Nacho has been heavily linked with a move to Roma and reports from AS suggest the Spaniard is Italy-bound for a fee close to €11m. The report also states that Real Madrid would reserve an option to buy their former youth product back for €15m.
The speculation surrounding Nacho’s exit from the Bernabeu has gained further pace after a report from AS stated that the central defender’s shirts were removed from all the Real Madrid shops this Friday. This could be an indication of an impending move as the player’s agent Jose Segui has been reported to be in talks with AS Roma to seal the deal.
Nacho does have a long existing contract with Los Blancos that runs till 2021, but is most likely to depart the club where he spent his formative years. The central defender is a versatile player who can provide cover for either fullback position as well. This ability would help Roma replace Lucas Digne and the injured Antonio Rudiger at the same time and it looks like the deal might be in its closing stages.
Spanish U21 winger Marco Asensio extends Real Madrid contract
Marco Asensio joined Real Madrid from fellow La Liga side Mallorca in a deal close to €3.9m and was loaned out to Espanyol for the 2015-16 season. The winger impressed everyone including the new Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane with his displays as he finished the season with 4 goals and 10 assists in his 34 appearances.
The Mallorca youth product was reportedly assured of first-team action by Zidane, according to Spanish daily AS. The Frenchman is reportedly against loaning the winger out to another club and sees Asensio as a part of the first-team setup for the coming season.
Fresh reports from Spanish publications AS and Sport suggest that the 20-year-old has extended his contract by a further year at the Bernabeu in a deal that runs till 2022. The new contract includes a hefty pay-rise for the Spaniard, who is set to feature in the first-team after assurances from Zizou.
There seems to be a breath of fresh air around the Bernabeu ever since the appointment of the legendary playmaker as their manager. The Frenchman looks prepared to give the youth a chance to shine at Real Madrid and the fans would be ecstatic to see who the next gem is to come out of the youth setup that gave them Alvaro Morata.
Marco Asensio is a versatile player who can play across all positions in midfield and attack. But the Spaniard’s main strength lies in his ability to play in wide positions where he can go past opposition defenders with his pace and dribbling ability. Asensio is a strong set-piece taker with a penchant for finding the right pass more often than not. His only visible weakness lies in his finishing ability and his inability to challenge in the air. If the 20-year-old plays his cards right and impresses in his first-team minutes, he may well be a part of Los Blancos‘ setup for years to come.