ARSENAL have been put on red alert with Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio set to hold showdown talks with Carlo Ancelotti.
The Gunners have been linked with the Spaniard for some time and could finally land their man in January.
Long-tipped to become a star at the Bernabeu, Asensio, 25, returned from a long spell out injured to feature 48 times last season, scoring seven times.
But he has only featured five times this term – for a grand total of 69 minutes.
And he will hold talks with Ancelotti over his future soon, according to Spanish journalist Antón Meana.
He told El Larguero: “If Marco Asensio continues to have a completely residual role as if he were Isco or Marcelo, the season will be long and the club-coach, coach-footballer, footballer-club talks will be repeated.
“It is a situation that is already beginning to be complicated and we are in the middle of September.”
Real Madrid are also building funds to bid for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, meaning Asensio is reportedly seen as a prime candidate for a January sale.
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Leeds, Leicester and Everton have all been named by Spanish reports as Arsenal’s main competition for Asensio.
Meana added: “There is the Marco Asensio case – this week seems key.
“Marco is not Isco, Marco is not Marcelo. Marco has offers, Marco is not finished and, therefore, neither he nor his representatives understand the role Ancelotti gives him.
“His strange obsession of seeing him in the game at 4-3-3 when he has never played there.
“Although they don’t blame anyone for now, least of all Ancelotti, this week seems key.
“He was untouchable since he returned from Espanyol on loan.
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“He was the player who had the most offers from all over Europe and Zinedine Zidane asked him to stay and play 40 games with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema or Gareth Bale.
“Before the summer, Asensio’s representatives said the future of the Balearic footballer depended on Ancelotti.
“But Ancelotti has not given him much ball. It seems like a difficult year for Asensio.”
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