MARCO ASENSIO’S agent says Barcelona rejected the chance to sign the Spanish playmaker for just £4million in 2014.
Horacio Gaggioli claims the Catalan club would only bid £2.2m for Asensio – £2.8m less than Mallorca’s £4m asking price.
Instead, Asensio joined Real – as it turned out for about £3m – a year later and now he is tipped to become the best Spanish player of his generation.
Speaking to Bleacher report, he said: “Barca said, ‘No, we’re not able [to match your price tag].’
“They lost the opportunity. When they changed their mind after three months, it was too late.”
He continued: “The offer from Real Madrid for Asensio was 20 times better than Barcelona’s in every aspect, football-wise and financially.”
The midfielder was already looking for a house in Castelldefels, a coastal town just outside of Barcelona, before the troubles began and the deal was off, when Los Blancos swooped in.
And Asensio rubbed further salt into wounds of the Nou Camp officials after scoring spectacular long-range goal in Real’s 2-0 Super Cup win over Barca.
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Asensio has since shot to prominence after scoring in the Champions League final and netting a hat-trick for Spain at the Euro Under-21 Championships.
And his eventual move to Madrid was all prompted by a phone call from Rafa Nadal to his uncle Miguel Angel.
Real president Florentino Perez explained: “I called Rafa and asked him to talk to his uncle Miguel Angel, who was Mallorca’s sports director."
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Asensio, meanwhile, was first loaned back to Mallorca from Real, then Espanyol.
When he went back to Madrid in 2016 he announced himself on the world stage with a brilliant goal in the 3-2 Uefa Super Cup win over Sevilla.
And Spain coach Julen Lopetegui named him in his first squad of the new season.
Asensio will hope to maintain his form and if things continue he could shine at next year's world cup.
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