Report: Real Madrid President Puts €700M Valuation on Marco Asensio
Real Madrid will not sell rising star Marco Asensio for anything less than an eye-watering figure of €700m. That is according to Los Blancos president Florentino Perez after it was reported that a sizeable offer for the player was already rejected last summer.
According to a story from Mundo Deportivo, Real rebuffed a €150m approach from an unnamed English club in August - Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with the 22-year-old at various times.
Curiously, it had been reported earlier in this summer that Asensio had a buyout clause of €80m, a relatively modest figure given his future potential, until signing a new contract in September.
That fresh contract tied the youngster to Real until 2023 but also considerably raised the buyout clause to a reported figure of €500m.
"If someone wants the Mallorcan [he is] worth €700m," Perez is now quoted as saying on the subject of Asensio's future at the Bernabeu.
As with the offer Real are alleged to have rejected in August, that lofty valuation again exceeds his buyout clause, the number that would trigger his formal release from the club if paid in full.
It would have made no sense for anyone to offer €150m last summer when they could have achieved the same with a bid of €80m. And, similarly, no one would offer anything above his €500m buyout clause now if they really wanted the player.
Something is distinctly fishy and it appears there is a degree of bravado from Perez and Real being played out through the press to assert their power and status. Clubs, agents and advisors are no certainly strangers to leaking false stories to media outlets if it serves their agenda.
