Newcastle United and Liverpool dealt potential blow as transfer target performs U-turn

Marco Asensio has decided to stay at Real Madrid just days after being linked with a surprise move to Newcastle United.

That’s according to Spanish publication AS, which claims the 26-year-old plans to see out the final year of his contract at the Bernabeu.

Reports over the weekend suggested the Magpies were weighing up a £20million swoop for the Spain international, who has also been linked with Liverpool and AC Milan.

United are in the market for a wide forward with Asensio one of several names, including Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby.

Asensio was already unlikely to join Newcastle but his decision to stay and fight for his place at Real confirms that.

Speaking about his future last month, the winger said: “Considering how this season went and what I experienced during my career, it’s true that I want more, I’m hungry for more and I would retire if it wasn’t like this, but I have many more challenges to achieve.

“I want to be the best player I can become and that’s why I keep working. I think this season it paid off even though I probably didn’t play many minutes. I want to play more and contribute more to the team.

“It’s true that I didn’t have the time to think and consider many things because of the Champions League final and the celebrations, but when these next two weeks with the national team end, we will talk about it all. This is something that my agent is taking care of.

“When the upcoming games with Spain are over, we will have to think about it. I want to keep growing and I want to achieve more things.”