Ex-Liverpool player Steve McManaman has claimed that Marco Asensio should join either Tottenham Hotspur or Arsenal if he decides to leave Real Madrid this summer.
The winger has not been able to reach the desired heights at Madrid and with his contract expiring in the next 12 months, Real Madrid might have no other option but to cash in on him.
He wants to play regularly which is why he is reluctant to sign a new deal and McManaman believes he should try and secure a move to either of the two North London sides.
‘I believe Arsenal or Tottenham would be a good next move for Marcos Asensio,’ former Liverpool star McManaman told HorseRacing.net(h/t Metro).
‘I think he would suit the Premier League. He’s a good player. He definitely needs to play more. That goes without saying.
‘He’s an excellent player, he’s just not hit the heights at Madrid as he did when he burst into the team. He probably hasn’t progressed enough for them.
‘So he hasn’t really nailed down a starting position for himself. It’ll be interesting to see what he does. Real Madrid are sometimes happy to let players run down their contracts and leave on a free.
‘They may just say “stay until the end of the season, then you can go”. It will be surprising if they let him go now without bringing somebody in, it really would.
‘The way he plays, I think Tottenham or Arsenal would suit him. You don’t want to be disrespectful to teams like Newcastle, but they’re still a work in progress.
🇪🇸 Marco Asensio, Spain's number 10 pic.twitter.com/dL0ZcbADnL
— Infinite Madrid (@InfiniteMadrid) June 12, 2022
‘I think the better a team he goes for, would help Asensio. I don’t think he’s a player that you could stick in that Newcastle team at the moment and hope that he’s going to beat ten men and score loads of goals.
‘He’s not that type of player. I think he’s more suited to a well-rounded team. Tottenham and Arsenal; teams that are around the top of the league and play that style of football.’
Where is Marco Asensio heading this summer?
Arsenal and Tottenham have been keeping tabs on Marco Asensio but this deal will not be a walk in the park for them because Liverpool have also shown an interest in him.
The Reds are the latest club who are keen to bring Asensio on board and if they put their foot on the peddle then Arsenal and Spurs are going to really struggle.
Real Madrid want £35m for Asensio’s sale which makes him an even more lucrative target and apart from regular playing time, Arsenal and Spurs cannot offer anything extra at the moment.
Thankfully, this is exactly what he’s looking for at the moment because under Ancelotti, the winger has been devoid of starts. In the previous season, he played in 31 league games for Madrid out of which he started only 19.
Marco Asensio primarily plays on the right-wing and at Liverpool, Mo Salah occupies that position. Salah is not going to leave this summer so it does not make sense for him to leave Real Madrid and join Liverpool without finding a solution to his primary problem. He can also play as a No 10 and a left-winger but Liverpool have really strong players in each of these positions as well.
A player like him will be much more appreciated and valued at Arsenal or Spurs so we think the two North London sides have a very strong chance of competing against Jurgen Klopp’s sides.
