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According to reports, Real Madrid are preparing for a swap deal with Napoli in the summer, which will involve Marco Asensio and Fabian Ruiz. Zinedine Zidane’s patience with the former is wearing thin and the Frenchman is now prepared to let him leave. the club.
Asensio rose through the ranks at Mallorca and signed for Real Madrid in December 2014, but was loaned back to Bermellones for the rest of the season. He spent the next season on another loan deal, this time with Espanyol, managing 12 assists in his 37 appearances.
Asensio returned to the Santiago Bernabeu the next season and featured heavily under Zidane, who preferred to use him ahead of some heavyweights in the team. He managed 38 appearances in his first full season with Real Madrid and scored ten goals. The player was even more impressive the following term, featuring in 53 games for Los Blancos and finding the back of the net 11 times.
The Spaniard was a constant feature in Zidane’s first spell at the club and looked set for a long and fruitful career at the Santiago Bernabeu. Unfortunately, he suffered an ACL injury in the summer of 2019, and things have not been the same ever since.
Fabian Ruiz’s versatility makes him an enticing prospect for Real Madrid
After picking up the injury against Bayern Munich in the pre-season friendly, the Spaniard missed the majority of the 2019/20 season. He ended with just three goals from ten games in all competitions and looked like a shadow of the player who had promised so much only a season earlier.
Even though he is still only 24 years old, Asensio has already lost a bit of his pace and has failed to impress for Real Madrid this season as well. The Spaniard has not registered a goal or an assist from 17 appearances so far. Zidane has preferred to use Rodrygo Goes or Lucas Vasquez instead and Asensio’s time at Real Madrid seems to be over.
Florentino Perez is already planning a swap deal this summer, which would see Fabian Ruiz join Real Madrid. The Napoli midfielder has been very impressive this season and his ability to play on the wings makes him a fantastic option for Los Blancos.
As such, this could be a make or break season for Asensio, who faces a race against time to save his Real Madrid career. Unless he turns his season around, the Spaniard might find himself in Napoli next season.
