Revealed: Asencio's future is hanging in the air after its Club World Cup

Xabi Alonso must make some unpleasant decisions amid the reorganization of Santiago Bernabéu locker room. What happened during the 24/25 season, including the recent Club World Cup held in the United States, shapes the impressions and judgments of the Tolosa manager regarding all of his players.

In addition to footballers like Rodrygo Goes or Vinícius, one of the names that most concerns the Merengue coaching staff is Raúl Asencio. The Canary Islands center-back  arrived at the competition on American soil with excellent references left by Carlo Ancelotti, but his performance has been more than unsatisfactory.

The mistakes made during the three matches he played, Al-Hilal, Pachuca, and PSG, have affected his status as a guaranteed starter alongside Dean Hujisen more than expected. Only the Spanish '24', newly arrived to the Merengue squad, is considered a certainty by the Madridist coaches.

However, those doubts from Xabi Alonso don't prevent the Valdebebas offices from having ordered his permanent installation in the first team. Renewed until 2031, now with a first-team contract and a €1 billion ($1,000,000,000) release clause, Raúl Asencio's future is tied to Real Madrid in the short term.

Against the tide

But it's yet to be seen how. The technical management of the White squad is proposing a change in many ways, not only in the internal hierarchies of the group of players. Also at the tactical level: the Tolosa manager is about to set up a starting eleven with a three-center-back formation.

Raúl Asencio doesn't convince Xabi Alonso with that system, which would place him as the third or fourth center-back in the squad. The inclusion of Aurélien Tchouaméni in that starting line-up, as seen during the Club World Cup, is another "threat" to the starting aspirations of the young Canary Islands center-back.

The current circumstances and trends of Real Madrid's first team are against the still '35' Merengue. His installation in Santiago Bernabéu locker room implies a change of jersey number, as well as a change in his consideration for the White coach... who already urges the White directors to sign Dean Huijsen's partner during the last weeks of the summer of 2025.

The Valdebebas offices don't hide their reluctance toward that idea. Not even with an Ibrahima Konaté who is open to wearing the White jersey: Liverpool have set a high financial barrier of €50 million ($50,000,000). That price, too much for a player with just one year left on his contract, delays any move and forces them to trust Asencio to recover his level.