Empire of the Kop
·22 Juli 2026
Liverpool could sign Raul Asencio this summer after surprise Fabrizio Romano update – opinion

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Yahoo sportsEmpire of the Kop
·22 Juli 2026

Raul Asencio has been tipped for the exit door at Real Madrid this summer.
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Fabrizio Romano reports on X (formerly Twitter) that new boss Jose Mourinho has already planned for the 23-year-old centre-back to head out either on loan or a permanent exit.
This could represent an intriguing market opportunity for Liverpool at a time when the Reds are in clear need of defensive reinforcements.
Enter the market: Raul Asencio.
It feels a little strange that Los Blancos would be prepared to let go of such a young, talented option in their squad. However, the arrival of Ibrahima Konate – coupled with the availability of Dean Huijsen, Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao – means the Spanish giants do actually have a full complement.
That said, the Brazilian international is set to miss a portion of the early campaign after having undergone surgery for a muscle injury in his left leg. But we suppose it’s Madrid’s risk to take!
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Liverpool are, indeed, short defensively – a point bluntly, and correctly, made by Arne Slot’s successor, Andoni Iraola.
It’ll all come down to price, but if Asencio is anything close to Transfermarkt’s valuation of €20m [£17m], it’s definitely an option worth considering in the current market. Sadly, we rather suspect the fee will be considerably closer to the €50m [£42.6m] reported by okdiario – but this still feels a steal for a player who has proven he can perform at the highest level.
Intriguingly, from a Liverpool perspective, the centre-half is a player who massively benefits from a coaching team that has his back, according to his personal trainer, Luiso Hernández (AS via Yahoo!Sports): “His last season, generally speaking, wasn’t great. But, despite some very inconsistent periods, when he’s on form, his presence is very noticeable. He needs to feel trusted by the coaching staff and play regular minutes. He’s a guy who likes challenges, doesn’t shy away from pressure, and thrives when things get tough.”
We’re pretty confident he’d get this exact kind of backing in spades from Iraola at L4. So, it just comes down to whether our recruitment team believe Raul Asencio is a market opportunity worth investing in.
£42m doesn’t feel like “break the bank money” for a player who’s capable of elite performance at a club that comes with pressure to match. And it’s a similar-ish fee to what Nottingham Forest appear ready to pay for Ousmane Diomande at Sporting CP.
Over to you, Liverpool.
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