London Defender

The Daily Mirror of the Great Britain

Liverpool and Arsenal ‘on standby to sign Real Madrid star Marco Asensio’

Liverpool and Arsenal are leading contenders to rescue Marco Asensio from his Real Madrid nightmare, according to fresh reports from Spain.

The past 12 months have seen Asensio go from a darling of the Bernabeu to a bit-part player, following the return of Carlo Ancelotti as manager.

A combination of injuries and the sizzling form of Brazil star Vinicius Jr has resulted in Asensio being a lesser priority for Ancelotti, and now the Spanish forward is said to be considering the real possibility of engineering an exit.

Marco Asensio is said to be weighing up his offers after falling down the Real Madrid order

Marco Asensio is said to be weighing up his offers after falling down the Real Madrid order

This is according to fresh reports in El Nacional, who claim that Liverpool and Arsenal are in a queue of clubs eagerly monitoring the developments.

It’s claimed that Asensio and his agent are convinced he should be getting more game time in the Spanish capital, and arewilling to use offers from the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A to force a departure if necessary.

It is reported that Borussia Dortmund happen to be early frontrunners for the forward should be leave, due to the club’s ‘strong relations’ with the Madrid hierarchy.

Asensio, 25, has fallen down the pecking order and believes he should be getting more games

Asensio, 25, has fallen down the pecking order and believes he should be getting more games

Carlo Ancelotti has been putting focus onto Vinicus Jr and making the Brazilian the star man

Carlo Ancelotti has been putting focus onto Vinicus Jr and making the Brazilian the star man

Dortmund will likely have to replace Erling Haaland this summer, with the Norwegian ace poised to leave once his £68million release clause comes into play.

Asensio would be guaranteed game-time with the Bundesliga club, though also has an additional offer on the table from Juventus.

The 25-year-old is likely to be relied upon this week by Madrid as they face a tricky fixture with Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.

Absence of young Brazilian Rodrygo – who has also been flourishing under Ancelotti – means Asensio will likely be restored to the starting ranks.