Everton are leading the race to sign Real Madrid academy graduate Raul Asencio, amidst interest from rivals West Ham United.
According to a report from Fichajes, Everton and West Ham United are both keen on signing Raul Asencio following his impressive rise at Real Madrid. The Toffees have leapfrogged the Hammers in the pursuit of the services of the Spanish international.
While the Spaniard has proven to be a useful option for Los Blancos, they are now looking to cash in on him due to inconsistency and off-field issues. Asencio surely has a bright future ahead, but he no longer fits into Real Madrid’s plans going forward.
Raul Asencio joined the Real Madrid youth setup back in 2017. He went up the ranks at some pace and got promoted to the first team in the summer of 2014. An injury crisis at the back led to the 23-year-old being thrown into the mix, and he started his professional career with some exceptional performances.
However, Asencio has not been able to maintain the level of consistency that the team in white are looking for. More importantly, his off-field behaviours have attracted a lot of attention. Real Madrid’s priority is to ensure they have a stable dressing room without any sort of distractions.
As a result, the Merengues are now willing to cash in on Asencio, who has attracted unnecessary attention because of his behaviour. Florentino Perez has opened the door for his departure. With the Spanish giants ready to listen to offers, clubs in the Premier League are gearing up to make a move.
Asencio could end up moving to the Premier League
Everton and West Ham have emerged as the biggest contenders for the young centre-back, who has experience of playing for an elite club and room for improvement. The Toffees are beleived to be the front-runners for his signature.
The Merseyside outfit are determined to win the race, as they look to add more quality to their backline ahead of next season and plan for the succession of ageing defenders like Michael Keane and James Tarkowski. His style of play and aggression might be better suited to the Premier League.
While West Ham are also looking to revamp their backline by signing him, they are not yet certain about going ahead with it. Real Madrid would not be an easy decision, but it should help him reach greater heights. A move away from the Bernabeu might offer him a more prominent role, rather than having to constantly compete with some of the biggest names in the game for a place in the starting XI.
