Marco Asensio believes Real Madrid hierarchy are interfering in team selection | OneFootball

A 2-1 victory over Almeria meant that Real Madrid travelled back north content with their work on the opening day of the season. Yet one player who might not have shared that delight is Marco Asensio.

The Mallorqui attacker did not get on against Almeria and neither did he appear against Eintracht Frankfurt in Real Madrid’s European Super Cup victory. Following Kylian Mbappe’s decision to stay at Paris Saint-Germain, Asensio had come round to the idea of staying at Real Madrid with one year left on his deal.

Sport say that Real Madrid want to force Asensio out and recoup some money for him before he is available on a free next summer. Roma have been linked with a move for the 26-year-old.

“We have to wait until the 31st of August and see what he decides,” remarked his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

In spite of that pressure, Mundo Deportivo have picked up on a report from Cadena Cope saying that Asensio is not concerned. Confused by his lack of minutes, he believes that the decision is not being made by Ancelotti but the club, as they look edge him out of the club.

It may well be that the club have decided to keep Asensio on the bench as a means of forcing him out, but the simple fact is that he has not shown that he deserves a place ahead of Rodrygo Goes or Fede Valverde on the right for Real Madrid. Asensio hit double-figures for goals last season for the first time since 2018, but ultimately had lost his place by the end of the campaign.