Fenerbahçe is close to signing a former Real Madrid star, snatching him from Inter Milan, who have been actively trying to sign him in recent days.
According to Turkish media, Marco Asensio is on the verge of joining Jose Mourinho’s squad next season, having reached a full agreement with Fenerbahçe on all the details.
Asensio’s loan at Aston Villa ended at the end of last season, and he returned to his former club Paris Saint-Germain. The Spanish international realized that he had no chance under coach Luis Enrique and began looking for a way out.
Inter emerged as the frontrunner for Asensio after Aston Villa announced they would not activate the purchase option in his contract with PSG. However, in the end, Fenerbahçe’s offer was better financially, coupled with Mourinho’s promises to guarantee him a starting spot, leading to the player’s decision to join the Istanbul club.
The 29-year-old regained some of his usual form with Real Madrid when he moved to Aston Villa last January, scoring eight goals and providing one assist in all competitions, particularly in the Champions League.
However, the English club opted to sign a younger player to bolster the winger position, and failure to qualify for the Champions League next season was a decisive factor financially, as Aston Villa were unable to keep their loanees, most notably Marcus Rashford.
Now, Asensio will have the opportunity to play in the Champions League if he succeeds with Fenerbahçe in advancing past the play-offs, something Mourinho’s side failed to do last year and were forced to play in the Europa League, which the Turkish club exited in the round of 16.
