Barcelona are reportedly keen to sign Real Madrid attacker Marco Asensio on a free transfer this summer.
The Spain international's contract at Bernabeu is due to expire at the end of June, meaning that, as it stands, he will become a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
According to Sport, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has placed a contract offer on the table for Asensio, but the attacker is not prepared to accept the current terms.
The 27-year-old's demands are said to be 'greater' than what the club are prepared to pay, which could lead to him ending his association with the Spanish and European champions this summer.
Asensio has recently appointed Jorge Mendes as his new agent, and it is alleged that there have been discussions with Barcelona over a possible move to Camp Nou.
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The report claims that signing a new deal at Real Madrid or moving to Barcelona are both possibilities at this stage, while a number of Premier League clubs are said to be closely monitoring the developments.
Asensio has again been a regular for Los Blancos this season, making 22 appearances in all competitions, contributing three goals and five assists in the process.
However, the former Mallorca youngster has only started three La Liga matches this term, with Federico Valverde and Rodrygo both ahead of him in the pecking order for the right-sided attacking role.
Asensio was named in the XI against Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, though, and he provided an assist for Karim Benzema in a 2-0 victory for Carlo Ancelotti's side at San Mames.
In total, the Spaniard has represented Real Madrid on 257 occasions in all competitions since his arrival in 2015, contributing 52 goals and 29 assists in the process.
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Towards the end of last year, Asensio refused to rule out the possibility of making the move to Barcelona.
"I haven't thought about it. I can't give you an answer right now. Many friends have told me about the news that Barca want to sign me," Asensio told COPE at the time.
"I've received about 200 messages. There are a lot of rumours and a lot of things we don't know. In 2023 I will be able to sign with any club because my contract ends."
As it stands, Asensio is able to speak to non-Spanish clubs about a pre-contract, and the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and AC Milan have previously been credited with an interest in his services.
Barcelona are said to have been in the running to sign the attacker from Mallorca in 2014, but the Catalan outfit were not prepared to pay the asking price at the time.
Matt Law
