Barcelona has been offered the chance to sign Real Madrid forward next summer, with the Spanish star open to a move to Barca.
Journalist Tomas Gonzalez-Martin claims that superagent Jorge Mendes has given Barcelona the opportunity to sign Real Madrid star Marco Asensio to a five-year deal.
Asensio is in the final year of his Real Madrid contract, and there have been rumors that Barça is keeping a close eye on his status since they think he might be an useful addition to the team and come to them for free.
In a recent interview, the 26-year-old winger left the door open for a move to Barcelona, which fueled the rumors even more.
Asensio will enter the final six months of his Real Madrid contract in January, and it is now being alleged that Mendes has given Barcelona the chance to negotiate a five-year contract with him then.
READ MORE: Manchester City star was asked who he would prefer to play together with, between Messi and Ronaldo
According to the source, Asensio’s profile was already transferred to Barcelona during the summer transfer window when contract negotiations with the Merengues stalled due to his salary demands.
Joan Laporta, the president of Barça, turned down a transfer at the time because the Catalans were focusing on other acquisitions and believed Real Madrid would use them as leverage in any deal. The club president also didn’t want to sour his friendship with Florentino Perez, his Real Madrid counterpart.
As a result, Laporta is thought to have promised Mendes that if Asensio became a free agent, he would think about signing him.
The 26-year-old was connected to teams in England and Italy but was unable to find a suitor that matched his preferences. As a result, he stayed at Real Madrid, knowing that he could choose his preferred team and receive a signing-on bonus if he left as a free agent.
Although the Spanish international will not be a regular starter at Spotify Camp Nou and would have to contend with players like Ousmane Dembele, Raphinha, and Ansu Fati for spots, it appears that Barcelona is now a real contender for Asensio’s acquisition.
