In a recent report, Fichajes mentioned that Everton are locked in a three-way battle for Real Madrid playmaker Marco Asensio this summer. It is believed that the Toffees could face competition from Leeds United and Leicester City in the race to recruit the Spanish winger in this off-season (via Fichajes).
Asensio’s Inconsistent Campaign At The Spanish Capital
Asensio had a tough season with Los Blancos recently as he struggled to find consistency in terms of his goal-scoring in the attacking third of the field. The 25-year-old was involved in 48 matches for the Madrid giants in the previous campaign, netting seven goals and grabbing two assists in multiple competitions.
The Palma de Mallorca-born talent had an up and down season at the Spanish capital based on his average of 1.1 shots, 0.9 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even distributed the ball with a lot of conviction after completing 85.1% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top tier (stats via whoscored).
Asensio could benefit from switching clubs this summer in search of a fresh start away from the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Everton will be an ideal destination for the player as he will get a chance to work with a world-class manager and his fellow countryman, Rafael Benitez.
What Will Asensio Add To Rafael Benitez’s Side?
Asensio is a technically gifted footballer who can retain possession in tight spaces and can create some decent openings for his teammates up top. He has what it takes to contribute by scoring some important goals in the final third but needs to figure out a way to be more clinical in front of the opposition goal. Asensio is primarily a right-winger but can also play as a left-sided wide player or influence the game from the number ten position if needed.
The 26-time Spain international is not playing his best football at the moment. Hence, a change of scenery could do his confidence a world of good but only time will tell whether Asensio can overcome his injury problems and cope with the physical nature of English football.
At 25, the Real Madrid wing wizard still has plenty of time to turn his career around, so the Toffees might be a good fit for him. We can expect Asensio to add a few goals and some much-needed creativity to Everton’s attacking department at Goodison Park. He could even serve as a perfect replacement for James Rodriguez who is not a part of Benitez’s plans for the new campaign.
