Reported Liverpool transfer target Marco Asensio starred in Spain's World Cup opener on Wednesday in a position that could intrigue the Reds hierarchy.
Asensio played in the unfamiliar role of number nine for Luis Enrique's side in their match with Costa Rica, as he scored Spain's second of the game with a cool finish - La Roja went on to win 7-0. It is a position that Roberto Firmino, who has been linked with a Liverpool exit in recent months, has shone in in recent years.
Asensio, who is out of contract at Madrid in the summer, has been linked with a move to Anfield with Jurgen Klopp potentially looking for cheaper options in attack with rebuild needed in midfield in the coming transfer windows.
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Like Asensio, Firmino's contract is up in the summer and talks are said to be ongoing with Liverpool. But Klopp could still look to add an attacker to his ranks to make up for the losses of Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi.
A move for the Madrid man would make sense for Liverpool, who are looking to invest heavily into their midfield with a rebuild needed in the middle of the pitch.
The Spaniard is free to agree a pre-contract with a club in January and Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has admitted talks will take place with Asensio once the World Cup is over: “We haven’t talked about contract issues because Marco is a player I trust," he told AS.
"He has played very little, but he always shows me things and with the few minutes I give him, he does well. He will have more minutes in the future. After the World Cup we will talk about his contractual situation."
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