Last week we covered strong claims from Marca that Aston Villa are making a move for Marco Asensio. The player’s Real Madrid contract expires at the end of June, and therefore he’s potentially available as a free agent.
With Aston Villa appointing Mateu Alemany as their sporting director, and the Spaniard moving to England from Barcelona, it was inevitable there’d be a long list of La Liga players linked.
The Asensio claims felt pretty strong, but there was still the nagging feeling that he’d rather stay with Los Blancos. His situation has been something of a rollercoaster this season, and at times it’s looked like he’d almost certainly be leaving the Bernabeu.
At other times, his stay has appeared to be the logical continuation. Unfortunately for Aston Villa, one of those times is right now. The 27-year-old scored the only goal of the game against Getafe at the weekend, showing his worth to Real Madrid.
In Sunday’s edition of the newspaper, he stated: “Asensio’s situation has changed radically in recent months and, having been with a foot and a half out of Madrid, it seems that the agreement to continue is about to fall.
“And I sincerely believe that it will be beneficial for both parties. The footballer has adapted perfectly to his role as a substitute with weight in matches and is making the most of every opportunity that his boss gives him. He drops goals and his left foot has unblocked quite a few games, most of them coming off the bench.
“Marco is earning every minute that Ancelotti grants him, with quality, hard work and a good attitude when it’s not his turn to participate. Gone are the moments in which the boy lowered his head when he did not feel important and gave the feeling that his future was far from the Bernabeu.”
Unfortunately, that doesn’t make Aston Villa’s chances sound great. However, Alemany will have many other options.
