PSG is about to find Messi's replacement

Spain's Marco Asensio is set to join PSG on a free transfer, after leaving Real Madrid.

Asensio will leave Real at the end of June, after eight years with the club. According to Goal , the 27-year-old Spanish striker is set to join PSG with a salary of $11 million per season.

"As madridistas, we will never forget Asensio's career and his great personality throughout the years," Real's farewell statement on June 3 said. "Real has always been and will always be his home. We wish him and his family all the best in this new chapter of his career." Asensio also shared a video saying goodbye to the club and fans.

Asensio celebrates scoring in Real's 1-0 win over Getafe on May 13. Photo: Reuters — Asensio celebrates scoring in Real's 1-0 win over Getafe on May 13. Photo: *Reuters*

In May, according to Goal , Asensio rejected a contract extension with Real. He wanted to leave to get a starting position and a higher salary. In the past two seasons, he has mainly been a backup for Vinicius, Benzema, Rodrygo and Valverde.

Asensio joined Real from Mallorca in 2015. The 27-year-old striker started playing for Real in the 2016-2017 season, after a season on loan at Espanyol. Asensio ended his career at Real with 61 goals in 285 games, winning three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, two Spanish Super Cups, three Champions Leagues, three European Super Cups and four FIFA Club World Cups.

Asensio has played for Spain since 2016. He has scored two goals in 35 international matches, including one in a 7-0 win over Costa Rica at the 2022 World Cup.

According to former coach Zinedine Zidane, Asensio was the second best left-footed player after Messi in the 2016-2018 period. With Messi's contract about to expire, PSG considers Asensio a worthy replacement.

In the 2022-2023 season, Messi contributed 21 goals and 20 assists in 41 matches for PSG. The 35-year-old striker's contribution was only behind Kylian Mbappe, who had 41 goals and 10 assists in 43 matches. However, in the final months of the season, French fans often booed Messi whenever he entered the field.

Messi has not yet decided on his next destination. According to Goal , the 35-year-old striker is facing the options of returning to Barca, going to the US or Saudi Arabia. Marca reported that Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal is willing to give Messi an income of 1.2 billion USD in just two seasons.

Thanh Quy (according to Real, Goal, Marca )

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