Manchester United are reportedly interested in completing the signing of Real Madrid's Marco Asensio this winter, amid uncertainty surrounding the ownership of the club...

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Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag is looking to continue stamping his mark on the Theatre of Dreams, having spent a lucrative £213m on a host of star-studded names this summer, and Spanish winger Asensio has been distinguished as a shrewd acquisition to lure to the club in the near future.

According to Spanish outlet Sport, United are set to advance interest in the 26-year-old with his contract set for expiry with Los Blancos at the conclusion of the current season and no initiation regarding talks for renewal in sight.

With the Glazer family - long-time, despised owners of Man United - putting the club up for sale in November, technical director John Murtough is not quite able to throw cash around with reckless abandon, but a move for Asensio could be both affordable and viable for Old Trafford.

"Magical"

United could wait until the summer and snap him up on a free transfer, but they will likely face competition from a host of top European competitors, and with the Daily Mail reporting that Arsenal and Liverpool were eyeing the player in a deal worth less than £25m this summer, Ten Hag might be successful in prising him away from the Santiago Bernabeu for a fee well below his market value.

Real Madrid snapped Asensio up from Spanish Segunda division side Mallorca for a paltry £3.3m, when he was just 18 years old; he has since made 250 appearances, scoring 52 goals and registering 27 assists.

And with a wealth of major honours, including three La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies, there is a winning mentality woven into his core - a trait that United could certainly benefit from, having failed to clinch silverware since 2017.

An ACL injury ruled Asensio out for 39 fixtures during the 19/20 campaign, hampering his progress and derailing his journey as a Madrid mainstay, and despite still playing a part at the prestigious club, he now looks set to depart at the end of the campaign.

The 35-cap phenom would certainly bring a sweet blend of skills to Old Trafford, with FBref ranking him within the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers for non-penalty goals, the top 7% for total shots and the top 10% for pass completion per 90 over the past year - setting his clinical prowess and slick passing play among the very best of the globe's forward sensations.

This season, the £118k-per-week dynamo has got three goals and assists apiece despite starting just three times across all competitions, and given a platform to earn regular minutes at the Theatre of Dreams, he may well flourish, utilising his pace and direct, peppering approach to devastating effect.

And with current Red Devil - and former Real teammate - Casemiro once lauding the player for possessing something "magical" about his game, United could soon unleash the player to wreak his wizardry on the Premier League.