Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is reportedly open to selling star academy graduate Marcus Rashford to Real Madrid, as long as Old Trafford sees the arrival of Marco Asensio, according to Spanish news outlet Diario Gol.
The young Englishman has appeared on the radar of Los Blancos in recent times, with boss Zinedine Zidane beginning to plan for life without 32-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo as he enters his twilight years.
The 19-year-old Red Devil has impressed the La Liga giants with a number of outstanding performances this term, which has seen him net seven times and provide five assists in the 14 appearances he has made this campaign.
It was thought that Real were keen to bring in Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane to answer their current struggle for goals, with their Euro 2016-winner and Karim Benzema only recording one a piece so far this season.
However, club president Florentino Perez is keen on the Frenchman remaining at the club, as is Zidane and Ronaldo, so it looks unlikely for the 29-year-old to face the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium exit door any time soon.
But one player who could be featuring less and less as time continues is the Portugal international, who is now entering the final years of his career with Los Blancos.
The Spanish capital club are keen to put a contingency in place for when the inevitable comes, and see Manchester United’s Rashford as the perfect replacement.
The report suggests that boss Mourinho is in fact willing for the switch to occur, but only if Asensio comes the other way.
The 21-year-old Spaniard set La Liga alight at the beginning of this term, netting four goals in the opening five games, including two against bitter rivals Barcelona in the Super Cup.
However, whether Zidane will be willing to part with his up-and-coming world beater remains to be seen, especially considering the Mallorca youth academy graduate signed a new six-year deal at Real last month with a reported £442m release clause.