Liverpool’s €180 million bid for Marco Asensio rejected – Reports

Liverpool’s opening offer for Marco Asensio has been rejected by Real Madrid according to reports in Mundo Deportivo. Reports suggested that the Reds made a substantial €180m bid for the Spain star.

The Merseyside club switched their attention to Asensio after the move for Nabil Fekir abruptly came to an end. Some reports suggest that Liverpool tried to lower the price to sign him from Lyon while other reports said it was because of his long-standing knee issue.

Jurgen Klopp is now keen on signing Asensio and is willing to break the bank to sign him. Liverpool's first bid to bring the player to Anfield has been rebuffed, but Mundo Deportivo claims that the Reds can sign the player if they increase their bid.

Asensio is under contract at the Bernabeu until 2023 and has a €700m release clause. There is no way Liverpool are going to activate it nor are Real Madrid are going to demand it if they are indeed looking to sell him.

When asked about a possible move to Anfield, Asensio did not close the doors completely. “Liverpool? When the World Cup is over, we’ll talk about that sort of thing; now I’m focused on selection for Spain,” he said.

Discussing the interest in his client, Asensio's agent Horacio Gaggioli confirmed bids had been made for his client before the Champions League final.

Speaking to Cadena SER, he said, “Madrid have received two offers for Marco Asensio, up to €150m, but the club rejected them. You can imagine that they come from England because they can afford it without any problems. They could even raise it.”

Florentino Perez is open to selling the 22-year-old as he eyes a move for Neymar. The PSG star is said to be his primary target this summer and is willing to make a €300 million move for him.