Marco Asensio was being linked with a move to Newcastle United during the summer, but the 26-year-old has now admitted that he would like to stay at Real Madrid.
The Spaniard is currently in the final year of his contract at the Santiago Bernabeu, meaning he will become a free agent in the summer of 2023 if he fails to sign a new deal.
There were plenty of clubs interested in Asensio during the summer, as clubs eyed a potential bargain. AC Milan and Barcelona were rumoured to be keen, as were Newcastle.
Spanish outlet AS reported that the Magpies were pushing the hardest to sign Asensio. They added that the Toon owners wanted him to be the ‘cornerstone of their new project’.
But a move failed to materialise, and his performances have earned him a place in Luis Enrique’s Spain squad for the World Cup.
Asensio is currently in Qatar, where he will wear the number 10 shirt for Spain. That means a contract renewal is surely off the table for now, but he is hoping that he can put pen to paper on a new deal after the tournament.
Marco Asensio on his future
Asensio has been speaking to Radio Marca, and provided a big update on his future.
“Do I want to renew? Hopefully it can happen and I’ll be very happy at Real Madrid for many years,” Asensio said.
“Hopefully everything will work out so I can stay for 10 more years.”
Asensio comments should put Newcastle rumours to bed
While the Spanish press linked Newcastle with a move for Asensio, he never felt like a serious target.
The club have made big signings since the change of ownership, but have done a brilliant job of steering away from blockbuster additions.
Plenty of superstar names have been linked with moves to Tyneside, but it has always felt like agents driving the interest. You can tell by the signings Newcastle have made that they’re not interested in talents with big reputations.
Eddie Howe’s recruitment has been spot on, bringing in great people as well as great players.
This isn’t to say that Asensio, who has been called ‘world class‘ in the past, wouldn’t have fallen into that bracket. But it would have came as a real surprise to see him swap Madrid for Tyneside.
Now he has spoken out about his desire to stay with Los Blancos, meaning we can now end any speculation of him joining Newcastle in the near future.
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