If one thing has become clear in recent weeks at Real Madrid, it is that when the youth team is needed, it is there. The multiple absences in defense have meant that Carlo Ancelotti has had to juggle things and put together a strange back line in which there has been one key name who has earned the right to be one of the great revelations of the season in the white squad. We are talking about Asencio.
Earning a leading and prominent role as a youth player in a team full of stars is no easy task, but the Canarian player has taken advantage of the opportunities he has been given this season. With outstanding performances in both LaLiga and the Champions League, Asencio has earned the respect of both the dressing room and the fans, who already see him as a reliable central defender for the present and the future.
A key man in a time of crisis
Carlo Ancelotti has seen his defense disintegrate little by little this season. From the outset they have been without Carvajal and Eder Militao for long periods. In recent weeks, names such as Lucas Vázquez, Alaba and Rüdiger have joined them on the list of injuries, with the latter three already finalizing their return. This situation has forced him to reconvert Tchouameni as a central defender, Valverde as a full-back… and a series of other moves such as giving prominence to homegrown player Asencio, who has become a fundamental piece in the Italian coach’s scheme.
Without going any further, in the first leg of the Champions League at El Etihan, he was instrumental in stopping an offensively lethal opponent: he cut off balls, blocked shots and ordered the defense with an authority unbecoming of his age. Having the task of defending Haaland is not an easy task, especially with his youth, but the youth academy graduate more than delivered. In terms of statistics, he performed at an optimal level. He won all his individual duels, did not commit a single foul and made five interceptions.
Renewal, a priority for Real Madrid
Asencio’s growth has not gone unnoticed by the club’s management. The club activates an automatic clause to renew a player’s contract for five years if any youth player is promoted to the first team. A renewal that does not intrinsically imply that the player will be in the first team next season but gives the club greater peace of mind when it comes to making a decision: to sell him, loan him out or keep him in the first team. Fabrizio Romano had already said that the club considers his continuity to be a priority, which is just one example of the confidence they have in his future.
Raúl Asencio joined the club in the 2023-24 season as a player for Real Madrid Castilla in the First Federation. He immediately stood out and his good work, added to the needs of the first team, meant that on November 9, 2024, he made his debut with Real Madrid, replacing Eder Militao after his injury against Osasuna. That same month he would play his first game in the starting eleven of the first team under Carlo Ancelotti.
PSG enters the scene
While Real Madrid is thinking about a renewal, PSG enters the scene. The powerful French team offers the defender a significant improvement in his emoluments. In addition, the Parisian team is willing to offer 45 million euros for the transfer of the Canarian for the next summer market.
According to journalist Eduardo Inda, PSG are willing to make an offer of 45 million euros to the Spanish club to sign the Canarian centre-back. In addition, the Ligue 1 team would significantly increase the defender’s salary in an attempt to convince him. The move is still in its early stages.