Arsenal and Liverpool offering star midfielder 50% more in wages than Real Madrid's current proposal - Reports

A transfer war between Liverpool and Arsenal could be brewing.
A transfer war between Liverpool and Arsenal could be brewing.

Interest in Real Madrid midfielder Marco Asensio is heating up. Both Liverpool and Arsenal are reportedly prepared to offer 50% more than what the player is currently earning at Los Blancos.

Asensio, 26, joined Real Madrid from Mallorca in 2014 for £3.51 million, and has registered 46 goals and 23 assists in 221 appearances for the La Liga giants. The Spain international's contract at the Santiago Bernabeu runs till June 2023, and he is currently on £117,000-per-week wages.

Eduardo Inda (via Super Deporte) has said that the 26-year-old is considering a move to the Premier League. Either Liverpool or Arsenal could be his next destination.

As per the aforementioned report, Real Madrid are not keen on offering higher wages to the 26-year-old, with the club and Asensio locked in tense contract negotiations. The midfielder will be able to negotiate a pre-contract with another club in January 2023 ahead of his potential departure in June of that year.

He had a promising start to life with the first team. Asensio was touted as a potential future 'Galactico' at the club, but he soon went off the boil, finding himself in and out of the side.

He has made 28 appearances across competitions for Los Blancos this season, scoring nine times and assisting once.


Where would Real Madrid's Asensio fit best - Liverpool or Arsenal?

Asensio would be familiar with Maritn Odegaard. (in pic), having played with him at Real Madrid.
Asensio would be familiar with Maritn Odegaard. (in pic), having played with him at Real Madrid.

Both Jurgen Klopp and Mikel Arteta's sides have offered Asensio interesting deals in case he leaves Real Madrid next summer.

The winger, who enjoys cutting inside and has also enjoyed success playing centrally behind a lone striker, has tremendous vision and intelligence to match. If it weren't for injury woes, we might have been talking about him as one of Spain's top talents.

Asensio is the type of midfielder who could suit Klopp, as he shares similar attributes to Liverpool's star man Mohammed Salah. Both players cut inside and have an eye for goal. However, Asensio doesn't share the same goalscoring prowess Salah has.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are used to targeting fringe Real Madrid players. That was the case with current Gunners midfielders Martin Odegaard and Dani Ceballos, with the latter underwhelming during his loan spell at the Emirates.

Arteta is renowned for developing players like Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. Asensio could flourish in north London, as he offers a different profile to the wingers they have at present.

Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Nicolas Pepe all use their speed and guile to rid defenders, so Asensio's vision could be hugely beneficial for Arteta's team.

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