Roman Abramovich ‘willing to pay’ £87.9m for Chelsea to agree deal with Real Madrid for Asensio

Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio

According to Don Balon, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is ‘willing to pay’ £87.9m to Real Madrid for the signature of Marco Asensio, but president Florentino Perez is holding out for £114.3m before he considers letting the outcast leave this summer.

Asensio joined Real from RCD Mallorca in 2015 and has gone on to make 84 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos. The 22-year-old has racked up an impressive 46 appearances this season, but 43% of them have come from the bench.

He’s made 18 starts in La Liga, contributing nine goals, while playing in all but one of their Champions League outings. Asensio was reduced to substitute appearances in the knockout stages, struggling to dethrone Isco from the squad, and may seek greener pastures elsewhere this summer as a result.

Head coach Zinedine Zidane has given him more playing time in La Liga of late, but the goals have dried up. Asensio has scored just two league goals since November 2017 and hasn’t made an assist since January 2018.

It’s hard to see why Chelsea would pay such a lofty sum to bring him to Stamford Bridge, and even more bizarre that Perez wouldn’t accept. Don Balon are known for their outlandish transfer rumours and this may be another one with a slim likelihood of coming true.

Stats from Transfermarkt.

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