Tottenham have been told that they must pay the £613million release clause in Marco Asensio’s contract in order to prise him away from Real Madrid, according to AS.
Mauricio Pochettino is said to be a big fan of the Spain international winger.
The 23-year-old, who made 44 appearances for Los Blancos in all competitions last season, had the clause included as part of a bumper six-year deal he signed in September 2017.
Spanish publication AS claim that Spurs recently enquired about Asensio’s availability, and were simply told by Madrid’s general director Jose Angel Sanchez that they must match the clause with an offer to have any chance of taking him away from the Bernabeu.
OPINION
It looks like Asensio is the one player who looks least likely to leave Real Madrid any time soon. That clause is astronomical and there is no way any club in the world – let alone Tottenham with their transfer policy – would ever think about paying it for him. It’s there to stop a move, unless Real Madrid want him gone, plain and simple. He hasn’t really had that great a season, scoring six goals and seven assists for Los Blancos. But there again, none of the Madrid team have had a really great season when you think about it. They were dumped – deservedly – out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Ajax having won each of the previous three editions of the competition. In La Liga, Zinedine Zidane’s side finished a whopping 19 points behind winners Barcelona. While Zidane is planning a rebuild over the summer to get his team back fighting again next season, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will not be looking to replace Asensio.