Marco Asensio admits he could be at a crossroads in his Real Madrid career amid rumours he has been offered to Manchester United by super-agent Jorge Mendes.
The 26-year-old’s contract at the Bernabeu expires in 2023 and a contract extension is unlikely, with this summer representing Real’s last opportunity to cash in on the winger.
After overcoming his injury problems, Asensio made 31 appearances in Real’s title-winning La Liga campaign – scoring 10 times – and also made eight appearances en route to Champions League glory.
But with his future at the club in doubt, Spanish television show El Chiringuito claim Mendes has been looking for a new team for his client and has offered him to new United boss Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman has identified the right wing as an area of his squad that needs strengthening and wants to sign an attacker, having also been linked with the likes of Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech and former Ajax charge Antony.
Now Asensio himself has opened the door to a potential exit despite being happy in the Spanish capital – and insists manager Carlo Ancelotti still has faith in him – and he will make a decision on his future in the coming weeks.
‘I have one more year in my contract yet here we are talking about me leaving Real Madrid. This is an important moment for me, I will not deny it,’ he told AS.
‘I am more mature and not only on the field, this is an important moment and I will have to make important decisions.
‘Me and my family know that I have to keep growing and moving forward. I want to achieve important things in football and they help me do that.’
Asked if he wants a more prominent role, Asensio continued: ‘Considering how this season went and what I experienced during my career, it’s true that I want more, I’m hungry for more and I would retire if it wasn’t like this, but I have many more challenges to achieve.
‘I want to be the best player I can become and that’s why I keep working. I think this season it paid off even though I probably didn’t play many minutes. I want to play more and contribute more to the team.
‘I know what our coach thinks. He’s happy about my season and he trusts me, this is something he told me himself.
‘It’s true that I didn’t have the time to think and consider many things because of the Champions League final and the celebrations, but when these next two weeks with the national team end, we will talk about it all.
‘This is something that my agent is taking care of. When the upcoming games with Spain are over, we will have to think about it. I want to keep growing and I want to achieve more things.’
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