Liverpool have not had the best start to their summer as they have now dropped out of the race to sign Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk and are also no closer to signing their top transfer target Mohamed Salah from AS Roma. But one player who is now linked with a move to Anfield constantly is Real Madrid sensation Marco Asensio.
According to reports, Liverpool have now made a £43m offer (€50m) for his services this summer. A product of the Mallorca youth academy, the 21-year old moved to Real Madrid in 2014 but only made a name for himself in the first team this season under current manager Zinedine Zidane.
He has been far from a first choice player for the Spanish outfit but has made 38 appearances in all competitions, picking up 10 goals and four assists throughout the season. He may play an important role next season in the side, with Zidane planning to sell some of the top players in the squad but reports suggest that he is demanding a pay rise, which might get him offloaded this summer.
A versatile player capable of playing as an attacking winger or also as a midfielder, Asensio is one of the most exciting attackers in world football at the moment. He has also got three national caps to his name and is a star for the future.
A specialist in set-pieces, Asensio is strong and athletic and loves to play short passes to get beyond the opposition defence. He is a superb dribbler with a decent eye for goal while his key pass ratio is also up there with the best in La Liga. At just 21, he is only going to get better and will be a superb addition to the squad at Liverpool.
The Reds are extensively looking at Mohamed Salah to add to their lineup but have also been linked with Gelson Martins and Douglas Costa as possible alternatives. While Costa is a more established player than Asensio, the Spanish star is exciting and will solve Liverpool’s attacking problems for years to come.
Senegalese star Sadio Mane is the only winger in the current Liverpool squad and Klopp is desperately looking for a player who can add width to the attack. Though he is still learning the game, Asensio has all the attributes to make him a success in England and is a worthy expenditure for Liverpool. But can he replicate what Salah could have done at Anfield?
