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What's the story?
Oh, the winter transfer window. That most underrated, and farcical of times.
While there have been some great buys in January over the years - United fans themselves will fondly reminisce about the days they used to have Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra on their side - these have tended to be bargain buys with the splashing of the cash reserved for the summer.
United, though, are set to buck that trend if we are to believe what the Express has to say about it... I would, though, keep a fistful of salt handy. As per them, Real Madrid's most promising youngster, Marco Asensio, has stunned Los Blancos by telling them that he has an offer from United on the table.
Unhappy with the game-time he is getting at Madrid, Asensio is reportedly agitating for a move and that might just work out in favour of United - who will, though, have to shell out a whopping £123 million (or €140 million) to obtain the young Spaniard's services.
In case you didn't know
Marco Asensio had recently signed a contract extension at Madrid, an extension that upped his release clause from a paltry €72 to a whopping €500 million. With such a favourable number backing them, Madrid are unlikely to back down from any sort of negotiations - even if the player himself wants to leave.
If he has had a falling out with either Zinedine Zidane or the Madrid hierarchy, however, the complexion of the issue changes and the door opens up for United.
The heart of the matter
Jose Mourinho's desperation for attacking reinforcements in the winter transfer window is palpable - every time he sends out his team without the flamboyant Paul Pogba in it, they end up struggling to create chances - and the Portuguese's urgency might see him break tradition and splurge large in the winter market.
Video
Marco Asensio is no flash in the pan -
Lad can play, let me tell you
Author's Take
With all due respect to the Express, this rumour doesn't make much sense. Asensio seems to be loving his time in the Spanish capital and everything he has done up until now seems to indicate a lad of humility who is willing to wait in the wings for a while and learn from the best.
Meanwhile. United have Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford - two of Europe's most promising youngsters, and who are very similar to Asensio in the positions they take up whilst in attack.
Possibility of this happening - 1/10
