Arsenal: Marco Asensio would be a remarkable heist

Per the daily round of transfer rumours, Arsenal are interested in Real Madrid starlet Marco Asensio. If Arsene Wenger was able to complete a deal for him, it would be a remarkable heist, perhaps more so than any of his other forays into Spain.

It is fair to say that Arsenal have benefitted greatly from Arsene Wenger’s forays into Spain, especially with younger players. While players like Jose Antonio-Reyes and Lucas Perez were signed and disappointed, there have been several examples of where Wenger has recruited extremely well, especially within the younger ranks.

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Perhaps the most famous is Cesc Fabregas. Signed in 2003 at the age of just 16, he was playing regularly first-team football for the Gunners by 18. His technical skill, his vision and his awareness were unparalleled at that time, with Thierry Henry even claiming that he changed the way Wenger thought about the game, forcing him to alter his approach to games dramatically thanks to his undeniable talents.

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Fabregas was eventually sold back to Spain and Barcelona. However, in the same deal, Wenger was keen to try the trick again with another young star. He turned out to be Hector Bellerin, who has since established himself as the starting right-back for Wenger and one of the most highly touted full-backs in European football. Bellerin still remains at the club and could yet develop into a world-class player, very much like Fabregas before him.

And now, reports are claiming that Wenger is ready to make a similar dive into the Spanish youth system. Allegedly, Arsenal are pondering the possibility of pursuing Real Madrid winger and highly-touted star Marco Asensio, who is potentially seen as an alternative to Thomas Lemar and a long-term replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who may or may not be out the door this summer.

While Asensio is not the unknown that either Fabregas or Bellerin were when they signed — the 21-year-old has made 35 appearances for Real Madrid last season in all competitions, scoring nine goals and notching a further three assists –, he is far from the finished product, with Zinedine Zidane relying on the more experienced and established members of squad, particularly in the bigger games.

As a result, of the 23 La Liga appearances that Asensio made last year, 12 of them were from the bench. In a similar vein, he made eight Champions League appearances. Only one was a start, and that was a home match against Legia Warsaw which Real won 5-1 without much trouble and with Asensio getting on the scoresheet in the process.

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If Wenger were able to force through a deal for Asensio, it would truly be a remarkable heist. He is highly valued at Madrid, has attracted the attentions of many top clubs from around Europe and is seen as a blossoming star. It would be an extraordinary signing, one that could replicate the blossoming successes of his past forays into the Spain youth systems.