Real Madrid are interested in a swap deal with Liverpool that would see Sadio Mane and Marco Asensio trade places, according to Don Balon.
The Spanish outlet claims that the European champions want to get rid of the Spanish international, while they have long been interested in the Reds star.
Liverpool are said to value the Senegal international at £153.2million, but Madrid president Florentino Perez does not want to pay that much outright.
Instead, Perez plans to offer Asensio and between £25million and £34million. Whether that will be enough to pique the Reds’ interest in someone who is very much their man of the moment remains to be seen.
OPINION
This is an interesting one, isn’t it? Asensio is someone who Liverpool have been linked with in the past but he’s never really seemed close to actually moving to Anfield. Mane appears to be someone who Madrid desperately want, but Jurgen Klopp would certainly be loath to lose the former Southampton man. The price tag that Liverpool have slapped on him is extremely steep, even given his current form, but a swap deal is how interested teams will work around that. Between £25-35million doesn’t really seem like enough to secure Mane even with Asensio included, especially given the reversal in the two players’ form. Mane has enjoyed a phenomenal campaign, whereas Asensio has come crashing down to earth this time out. Overall, while this is something that may tempt Klopp for a moment, it’s best that the German turns down Madrid’s approach and focuses on keeping Mane for the foreseeable future.
