Marco Asensio has said he wants to stay at Real Madrid for another 10 years amid rumours Arsenal are interested in signing him on a free transfer in the summer.

Marco Asensio is out of contract with Real Madrid in the summer of 2023.

Depending on where you do your reading in Spain, you will have seen different versions of what is reportedly going on.

Some say that Carlo Ancelotti wants Asensio to remain but the player is not that keen.

Others claim that the player wants to stay, but it is Real Madrid who are not that fussed.

So, in amongst all that, the player himself has decided to clarify his position.

“Do I want to renew?” he said on Radio Marca. “Hopefully it can happen and I’ll be very happy at Real Madrid for many years, hopefully everything will work out so I can stay for 10 more years.

“There is talk that I am changing Real Madrid’s mind. But I have always tried to give the best that I have within me, and then later on people will be know about it. The one who decides, too, is the club, it does not only depend on me.

“After the World Cup, we’ll both make a decision.”

From that, it seems clear that it is Real Madrid who are reluctant to offer up a new deal to the player they signed from Mallorca in 2015 for €3.9m.

As I said earlier this week, it’s impossible to tell how much truth there are to these rumours in regards to Arsenal but it does feel more and more than the Gunners’ name is just being used by agents to generate pressure.