Real Madrid starlet admits he rejected rivals Barcelona

Bengaluru, September 13: Real Madrid forward Marco Asensio has admitted he turned down La Liga rivals Barcelona in order to join Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.

The 21-year-old is regarded highly across Europe right now after his excellent displays in Real Madrid colours since last season and now has admitted that he had the chance to join Barcelona but opted not to.

The Spain international has been impressive ever since his arrival from Mallorca in 2014. Real Madrid loaned out the 21-year-old for his earlier Bernabeu career but Asensio made his significant mark when he returned.

The winger netted 10 goals in all competitions last season despite getting limited game time under Zinedine Zidane. The 'Daily Star' report that the 21-year-old opted to move to the Spanish capital because he felt he knew what the club could offer him.

Speaking to Spanish outlet Cope, the youngster stated: “Yes there was an option to sign for Barcelona and other teams, but the following winter I signed for Real Madrid, “I understood what the club gave me, it was the best for me.”

He explained how he would like to become a valuable member of Zidane’s outfit, saying:

“With a look, you know what you want. He knows how to lead the group, in every situation he usually get the decisions right. I want to feel important in the team.”

Asensio has also scored four in six games to kick off this time out. The winger starred in the Spanish Super Cup, netting twice across both legs to help Los Blancos to a 5-1 aggregate win over Barcelona.

The Spain international is likely feature in Madrid’s tie with APOEL in their opening Champions League group game on Wednesday.

With the recent performances of Asensio that have been good enough to keep a player like Gareth Bale out of the starting eleven, this new revelation will be a bitter pill for rivals Barcelona to swallow.