Aston Villa are reportedly interested in signing Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio on a free transfer but he is also being targeted by Arsenal.
The 27-year-old has played just short of 300 times for Real Madrid across all competitions but his future is in doubt heading into this summer.
Asensio is out of contract in the summer and he has slipped down the pecking order this season. He has started 13 times in La Liga but he has made an impact when given opportunities, with him being involved in 19 goals in 46 outings overall.
The winger has been heavily linked with Arsenal and it was claimed last month that they are ‘very close’ to signing the Spain international.
But Spanish outlet MARCA (via Sport Witness) are now reporting that Mateu Alemany and Unai Emery are ‘interested’ in Asensio. Villa are planning to make four signings this summer and they hope the forward will be one of their ‘first’ additions.
It is claimed that Asensio’s ‘priority’ is to remain at Real Madrid, but it remains to be seen whether they will offer him fresh terms.
‘They say Villa ‘can offer him a salary worth around €8m, which is twice what he makes at the La Liga giants’. This report has since been backed up by The Athletic, who state.
‘Aston Villa want to sign Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio and will offer a lucrative alternative to extending his time in Spain.
‘The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and wants to prolong his stay but until a decision has been made, Villa continue to monitor the situation closely.
‘Manager Unai Emery is keen on bolstering his attacking line and sees Asensio as a player who can significantly improve the team. The incoming Mateu Alemany, who leaves his job as director of football at Barcelona on July 1, is also on board with the pursuit.’
READ MORE: With Emery, Alemany and huge transfer plans, Aston Villa may be building towards a bright future
Villa are clearly not messing around ahead of this summer and they are also being linked with Fulham’s Joao Palhinha, who is being monitored by Liverpool.
A separate report from Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke claims Villa are ‘willing to match Fulham’s asking price’ for Palhinha.
‘Despite the huge amounts of interest in Palhinha, Villa are confident that they can compete financially with the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’, and they are willing to match Fulham’s £60million asking price,’ O’Rourke wrote.
‘While Villa cannot…
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