Arsenal have entered the race to sign Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio.

What’s the word?

That’s according to Spanish outlet AS, who states that Arsenal are one of several clubs vying for his signature.

A couple of Italian clubs are also listed as potential suitors, with Juventus and Milan offering the Champions League football that Arsenal cannot.

However, with Mikel Arteta “a great supporter of the operation”, perhaps he could tempt his compatriot to the Emirates.

Imagine him and Saka

Bukayo Saka has quickly made himself a favourite in north London, with his dynamism and youthful exuberance lighting up the Emirates.

If Arteta could tempt this Real Madrid man to join up, it could make for a frightening prospect for Premier League defences.

A man for the big occasion, Asensio was a scorer in Los Blancos’ triumph in the 2017 Champions League final. Many believe he is yet to live up to his monumental potential, and perhaps a change of scenery and considerably less pressure may allow him to flourish.

However, he still enjoyed a decent season, recording ten goals in the league. This also does not paint the full picture, as he still boasted a 7.07 average SofaScore rating last term.

This, combined with the 18 top-flight goal contributions of Saka, outlines a serious threat from out wide. Adding the expected goals of the incoming Gabriel Jesus, it seems that Arteta could form a scary front line.

For Spain his performances also seem to improve, which could again be related to the immense pressure of being a Real Madrid player. He averages a 7.27 SofaScore rating for his national team in the UEFA Nations League.

Carlo Ancelotti has been a vocal admirer of the £36m-rated maestro, and had the following to say on his recent performances: "Asensio was able to move between the lines and with the finishing ability that he has, he is a danger for our rivals.

“He has got a good shot, he is able to combine with other players and I hope he can score three goals in our next game.

The Italian manager also was pleased by his versatility, noting his ability coming in off the right: "when he moves inside, he has the ball on his left foot and he is very dangerous."

Saka and Asensio combining could see both of them reach their potential, and with the latter having plenty left to offer the footballing world, it would be a shame not to explore options outside of Madrid and hopefully catapult his career in the process.

AND, in other news: Arsenal favourites to sign "elegant" £35m warrior after Jesus, it's an Edu masterclass.